Pistons fans got a surprise announcement on Thursday night regarding a former Piston when Saddiq Bey got a 3-year/$55 million extension with the Pelicans. Bey is coming off a career-best season where he averaged nearly 18 points per game on decent efficiency, but his contributions haven't proven worthy of his new deal. It's no surprise that the contract came from former Pistons GM Troy Weaver, who has reunited with Bey in New Orleans.
As Detroit fans know all too well, Weaver was never the most careful with managing assets or contract amounts. He also had a tendency to overrate players from his native DMV area, where Bey went to high school. Clearly that tendency continues to haunt him now on his new team.
Bey got more money than expected in his new deal
It is important to note that Bey legitimately had a solid season last year. He shot 45% from the field and 37% from three while creating a lot of his own looks. The Pistons know better than most how important creation from non-stars can be, especially in a playoff setting. But Bey has never even gotten the chance to translate his game to the postseason.
Obviously, the Pelicans were far from making even the Play-In Tournament last season. They finished 11 games back of the 10-seed Warriors. And Bey's scoring didn't necessarily help the Pelicans win more games. His lack of playmaking and defense continue to limit his impact, just as they held him back in Detroit.
In today's strict cap environment, those major flaws would be enough for most teams to sign Bey at a much lower salary. Consider that Bey's contract will be worth more per season, and with more guarantees, than Duncan Robinson's current deal. That's despite Robinson having more offensive impact through his spacing and showing more defensive effort. Robinson has contributed on winning teams already in his career, including the Pistons last season and two seperate Finals trips with the Heat.
The Pistons are lucky to not have Troy Weaver anymore
However, this isn't the first questionable move the Pelicans have made this offseason. Their summer has been full of peculiar decisions, which paint a bad light for the leadership of Weaver and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars. Both were previously in management roles with the Pistons during the franchise's worst-ever seasons.
New Orleans has laid mostly dormant this offseason, but doesn't seem to have a patient plan like the Pistons. For Detroit right now, it makes sense not to jump the gun on a big trade and instead see how far a young core coming off a 60-win season can go. For the Pelicans, it doesn't make much sense to run back a 26-win roster.
But that's always been the problem with Weaver. He believes in his guys a little too much and is either too hesitant to make a move or too reckless when he does finally pull the trigger. Those weaknesses held the Pistons back for years, and now they're doing the same in New Orleans with Bey's big contract.
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