Andre Drummond delays extension to help free up $13 million in cap space
The Detroit Pistons and Andre Drummond have reportedly decided to wait on a contract extension, which will make Drummond a restricted free agent next offseason.
While it seems clear that the Pistons want to make Drummond a franchise cornerstone, and that Drummond wants to stay, the extension may have been mutually delayed to help the franchise next offseason.
Here's more from Keith Langlois at Pistons.com:
"The relationship that Pistons owner Tom Gores began cultivating almost immediately upon the drafting of Andre Drummond in June 2012 has paid a massive dividend. Drummond, at 22 a franchise cornerstone, has decided to push back contract talks until next summer rather than signing an extension before the Nov. 2 deadline.
The payoff for the Pistons: nearly $13 million in additional cap space next summer.
Drummond and Gores met on Sept. 27 at the owner’s Detroit-area home – two days before training camp opened – and had a lengthy conversation where he laid out the pros and cons. At the heart of it, he wanted to make sure Drummond was comfortable with delaying negotiations rather than locking up a guaranteed salary for the next five seasons now.
“It’s between Tom and I, those discussions,” Drummond said. “They don’t really need to be discussed openly. We both have an understanding of what’s best for the team.”
