Restricted free-agent Cam Thomas has reportedly accepted a $6 million qualifying offer to stay with the Brooklyn Nets, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, which is a situation the Detroit Pistons could face next summer with Jaden Ivey.
Ivey’s extension is one of the most talked about issues surrounding the Pistons, as there are some who believe the team should try to lock him into a deal now, while others who think he needs to prove he’s the guy before the Pistons can commit.
Trajan Langdon appears to be in the latter group and is smartly ensuring that contributions on the court match the contracts that are given out, something you can’t guarantee by extending Ivey early after he only played 30 games last season.
If the Pistons don’t extend Ivey, he’ll enter restricted free agency, just as Cam Thomas did this offseason, and Detroit may end up in the same situation.
Jaden Ivey extension: The mess the Pistons want to avoid
If Jaden Ivey blows up next season and he clearly fits while helping the Pistons to a deep playoff run, then I am sure the franchise will be happy to reward him with a big deal.
But what happens if they still don’t feel like he’s worth it?
That’s what happened with the Nets and Thomas, even after he averaged 24 points per game last season. Yes, he was putting up big numbers on a bad team, but he and Ivey are similar players in that they are scoring guards with questionable playmaking skills who are not good defenders.
The Nets reportedly offered Thomas $30 million over two years with a team option for the second season, and I could see the Pistons coming up with similar numbers for Ivey, even if he does have a breakout season.
There are real questions about how much these types of players affect winning, questions Ivey can answer by stepping up as the clear second scoring option and a guy who carries the point guard load while Cade Cunningham is on the bench.
Like Thomas, I could see Ivey being put off by such a number and potentially taking the qualifying offer as a way to bet on himself.
The reason this matters is that accepting a qualifying offer gives the player a no-trade clause and they become an unrestricted free agent after the season, which means the team loses all control.
This is a situation the Pistons want to avoid, and I think they will, as Ivey will either be traded in a big deal before the deadline or the Pistons will see him as part of the long-term plans and come to an agreement they can both live with.