Ausar Thompson contract extensionEXTENSION!!!
Ausar Thompson contract extensionEXTENSION!!!
The Detroit Pistons have taken care of one of their biggest pieces of unfinished offseason business.
Ausar Thompson has agreed to a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale contract extension with Detroit, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal is fully guaranteed and locks up one of the NBA’s premier young defenders before Thompson enters the final season of his rookie contract.
Thompson, 23, earned First Team All-Defense honors last season and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks while appearing in 73 games.
Detroit had been negotiating extensions with Thompson and restricted free agent Jalen Duren simultaneously. One of those negotiations is now finished.
Ausar Thompson contract extension talks loom for the Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson contract extension
Ausar Thompson contract extension talks loom for the Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson contract extension
Pistons Pay Thompson for Elite Defense
Detroit is making a significant commitment to a player whose value goes far beyond his scoring average.
Thompson led the NBA in steals per game last season and helped the Pistons finish with the league’s second-best defensive rating. The Pistons noted when Thompson earned First Team All-Defense that he became the franchise’s first First Team selection since Ben Wallace in 2006.
His playoff production reinforced the point. Thompson averaged 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks over 14 postseason games as Detroit reached the Eastern Conference semifinals. ESPN Research noted that he became the first player since Anthony Davis in 2020 to record at least 25 steals and 25 blocks during one postseason.
The extension also lands well below the five-year, $208 million deal Houston recently gave twin brother Amen Thompson. That contract had created an obvious comparison point for Detroit, something we examined earlier this month.
Ausar will average $31 million per season on his new deal. Amen’s extension averages $41.6 million.
Duren Becomes Detroit’s Remaining Contract Question
Thompson’s agreement removes one major uncertainty before Pistons Media Day and training camp.
It also places even more attention on Duren.
Detroit has remained engaged with its All-NBA center since June and has reportedly offered more than $190 million. Duren has continued to seek more, although recent reporting indicated the gap between the sides may be smaller than initially believed.
Thompson’s deal does not dictate what Detroit will do with Duren. The two players occupy different positions, have different markets and present different long-term questions.
It does show the Pistons are willing to spend heavily to preserve the young core surrounding Cade Cunningham.
Thompson has already established the defensive foundation Detroit wanted when it selected him fifth overall in 2023. The offensive development remains the next challenge, particularly as a shooter, but the Pistons are no longer waiting to see how good he can become before making their commitment.
They just made it.