Five years, $155 million, and the Detroit Pistons have tied down the man who anchors their defence. Ausar Thompson, taken fifth overall in the 2023 draft, averaged two steals a game last season — the best mark in the NBA — earned a place on the All-Defensive team and finished third in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. His offensive arsenal rarely stretches beyond the dunk, and his career scoring average sits at 9.6 points, yet the front office backed him regardless. Tellingly, the contrast within the same roster is hard to miss: with a week to go before training camp opens, the club has still not agreed terms with its All-Star centre Jalen Duren, whose output dropped from 20 points a night in the regular season to 10.2 in the playoffs.
Sixty wins and top spot in the Central Division counted for little in the end, as Detroit were taken apart by Cleveland in game seven of the second round. The summer cost them Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart, with Isaiah Joe arriving to fill out the rotation. The Michigan side also tied up a three-year, $51 million deal with John Collins, completing the squad they will take into the new campaign.
