The Detroit Pistons finally came to terms with a core member of its young core … and it wasn’t Jalen Duren. While the extended standoff between the All-NBA center and the Pistons continues, the Pistons swooped in and took care of a different kind of business, signing young forward Ausar Thomspon to a five-year, $155 million rookie extension, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
Thompson has already established himself in the upper echelon of defenders in the NBA. At first blush, it might seem crazy to give a player who has averaged less than 10 points per game and isn’t a threat from deep a $31 million average annual contract. However, talk to any Pistons fan, or anyone who watches Pistons games regularly, and this truly feels like a steal.
Thompson thrived last season and set a high bar as a premier wing defender. He was an All-NBA First Team selection and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
And consider Ausar’s twin brother, Amen, who was picked one spot ahead of Ausar and signed a $208 million deal with the Houston Rockets earlier this offseason. Amen is certainly the superior offensive player thanks to his distribution skills, but he is also not quite the defensive presence of Ausar. To get Ausar at nearly $50 million less than Amen is a bit shocking to me, to be honest.
That doesn’t mean that Thompson can be a finished product. He certainly needs to become a legitimate offensive threat in some form or fashion. But he’s an S-tier perimeter defender, rebounds the hell out of the ball, can run the floor, and he’s just 22 years old. To be able to lock up Thompson through his age 28 season to play alongside star Cade Cunningham is a commitment to building a championship-level team for the Pistons.
You can’t ask for much better by way of complementary building blocks than Thompson and Cunningham. However, you know what is even better than a great two-person core as you try to build your way to a championship roster? A three-person core. And therein lies the Jalen Duren conundrum.
It has been widely reported and confirmed by sources close to the team that the Pistons are eager to sign Duren to a contract that would significantly exceed the $155 million Thompson deal. But Detroit is offering a deal between $185 million and $190 million, and Duren wants a deal exceeding $200 million.
I have no reason to believe either side is disputing this, representing the gulf in negotiations, and somehow neither can reach a deal. In fact, if you’re willing to believe Duren’s side, their player is willing to take his $9.6 million qualifying offer in order to chase a max contract next offseason. That would amount to him netting less than what the Pistons are reportedly offering over the same five-year window, but pride can do funny things to a guy.
While we wait for the inevitable conclusion to the Jalen Duren saga, at least we can take comfort in the knowledge that one of the NBA’s three best defenders is locked up long term with the Pistons.
Read the full article here