Yesterday was big day for the future of the Detroit Pistons and the NBA, as it was the deadline for certain players to sign extensions, meaning we can start to get an understanding of who might be available in the future.
Players from the 2021 draft class who did not sign rookie extensions will be restricted free agents at the end of the season and there are still some names that might interest Detroit.
The Pistons had already taken care of their business by inking Cade Cunningham to a max extension. While I would still argue that Cunningham is the best player from his draft class, you do have to wonder if he is worth $100 million more than guys like Jalen Suggs and Jalen Johnson.
Cunningham was the only Pistons player eligible for an extension, but Detroit did take care of some other business early.
Detroit Pistons team options
According to Pistons PR, Detroit exercised team options for the 2025-26 season on Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser yesterday.
The Detroit Pistons have exercised the fourth-year team options for Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren and the third-year team options for Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser.
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) October 21, 2024
None of these were surprising, as all of these players are still on their rookie deals, cheap contracts for their production. That will all end next summer for Ivey and Duren, who are both due extensions, so this time next year will be far more interesting.
Of the four, Sasser was the only question mark, but given his low salary and the fact that he will likely play some role in the rotation, it’s not going to hurt to have him signed for next year at $2.8 million. The real issue will come next offseason when the Pistons will have to decide whether to pick up his final year, which gets more expensive at $5.1 million.
Wendell Moore Jr. also has a team option and the Pistons still have until Halloween to pick it up, though I’d say that’s an extreme longshot given that it’s for $4.5 million, nearly double what he is making this year.
This news got buried among all of the extensions that were signed yesterday, some of which could open up trade possibilities for the Pistons.