The Detroit Pistons didn’t last long in these NBA Playoffs, getting swept by the top-seeded Cavaliers. It’s a disappointing result, but not a discouraging one with a team so young and a coach who’s a “bad motherf***er”. But in order to build on the progress they’ve made, they need to keep their young core together, and that starts with star center Andre Drummond, set to be a restricted free agent this summer.
Pistons owner Tom Gores knows this, and he knows the value of a big man as dominant as Drummond. When asked if he would pay Drummond big money, Gores responded, “No hesitation. Come on, look at all the big guys in the league. Come on.”
He’s right, too. While Drummond’s free throw shooting is even more of a concern than DeAndre Jordan’s or Dwight Howard’s, and his defense isn’t of their caliber either, he’s the best rebounder in the league and a ferocious pick-and-roll finisher. On top of that, he’s still only 22. He’s worth a max deal, and the Pistons have no reason to indicate they’ll give him anything less. With Reggie Jackson already signed long-term, cementing Drummond as the second piece of Detroit’s young core is one of the easiest calls of the upcoming offseason.
(ESPN)
