Once the Detroit Pistons take care of the Jalen Duren business, they have an equally important contract negotiation waiting for them. Because of the Duren stalemate, this has gotten little attention so far, but the contract extension Ausar Thompson will get from the Pistons will go a long way in determining the future of the team.
All signs are pointing towards a huge extension for the 23-year-old forward. While the Pistons absolutely have to try to keep Thompson, one has to wonder whether the organization may be overrating him.
Should Ausar Thompson really be considered untouchable by the Pistons?
In his pre-draft and free agency press conference, GM Trajan Langdon referred to Cade Cunningham, Duren, and Thompson as the "Big 3" multiple times. He said that the Pistons would be looking for additions to complement the young trio.
Cunningham and Duren, who both made an All-NBA team last year, are a great duo to build around for sure. Thompson certainly has the upside, but hearing his name mentioned next to two All-NBA players was surprising.
Everything the Pistons did this offseason also signals their commitment to Thompson. They have cleared a ton of cap space and prioritized financial flexibility more than anything. This was interpreted as their desire to sign Duren and stay under the luxury tax. Another big factor for this has to be Thompson's looming extension.
The Pistons made sure to have clean books starting in the 2027-28 season, when Thompson's extension kicks in. Duncan Robinson and John Collins have non-guaranteed contracts, and the Pistons have a team option for Isaiah Joe and Ron Holland for the 2027-28 campaign. Paul Reed will be a free agent and come off the books.
This is clearly intentional. The Pistons seemingly didn't want long-term contracts on their books to ensure they could fit Thompson, in addition to Duren, into their salary structure.
This likely means that an extension worth over $30 million per year may be coming for Thompson.
As good as Thompson has been, making him a priority to this degree carries some risks. Is the 23-year-old really worth clearing future salary and building around as one of your three best players? Does it make sense for the Pistons not to swing big in a win-now move because they want to retain their Big 3?
Thompson is arguably the best perimeter defender in the league. He can guard multiple positions, make a ton of defensive plays, protect the rim, force turnovers, and provide physicality. He is a valuable player just because of his defensive impact.
His offensive game, however, still leaves plenty to be desired. It's not clear whether he has improved at all on that end of the floor since arriving in the league.
Thompson is one of the worst offensive perimeter players in the league. "He can't shoot" is an understatement for how bad his shooting is. But it's not just his shooting. He can't score inside the arc either. He doesn't have an in-between game or a layup and floater package. As strong as he is, he isn't physical enough to go through defenders and finish in traffic. His free-throw attempt rate is very bad for a player of his physical and athletic tools.
This makes him a poor off-ball player. This means that the Pistons have to give him the ball and let him create more, which has resulted in an increase in his assist numbers. But anytime Thompson has the ball means Cade Cunningham doesn't have it, which is not optimal for the offense.
Having Thompson out there puts a ceiling on your offense. Especially when he is playing next to another non-shooter like Duren, the fit becomes questionable. Treating him as a member of the core trio when his fit next to Duren is not proven may come back to bite the Pistons.
This obviously depends on the extension the Pistons and Thompson agree on. Any deal around $30 million per year or less would be acceptable, but reading between the lines, things may not be headed that way.
This isn't to say that the Pistons should trade Thompson, but making him untouchable and a top priority when trying to build a contender could be a mistake. Let's hope Pistons fans don't come to that realization the hard way.
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