Comfortably ahead of training camp, the Detroit Pistons re-signed their star defender, Ausar Thompson, to a long-term extension earlier today
All throughout the offseason, they projected course of events was for the Detroit Pistons to reach a long-term agreement with restricted free agent Jalen Duren before moving onto Ausar Thompson’s rookie scale extension, but the tables have flipped with the Defensive Player of the Year candidate inking a five-year, $155 million deal earlier today.
Since training camp is right around the corner, it is important for the Pistons to have their business in order, but Duren’s tardiness regarding his new long-term deal has thrown a monkey wrench into Detroit’s offseason timeline. So, the Pistons pivoted in order to keep Thompson in the Motor City on a five-year contract that pays $31 million on a yearly basis.
Earlier today, the Utah Jazz signed guard Keyonte George to a similar five-year, $157.5 million deal for his rookie scale extension, which means that the Pistons were able to secure their relentless perimeter defender at a cheaper rate. For further context, Ausar’s twin brother Amen signed a five-year extension with the Houston Rockets worth over $50 million more than Ausar’s Detroit offer, which should be indicative of how much the modern NBA values offensive production.
While Detroit’s Thompson won the Defensive Player of the Month award in the Eastern Conference twice last season in addition to landing on the All-Defensive First Team, his brother operates with more playmaking responsibility on the Rockets and has been far more productive as a scorer. Neither player shoots the basketball at a particularly high clip, but Houston relies on Amen as a creator much more than the Pistons rely on Ausar for that role.
Last season, Ausar averaged just under 10 points per game for Detroit, but the team compensated for his lack of perimeter gravity by keeping Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup for essentially every game that Thompson suited up for. Robinson served as the team’s lone 40% shooter from beyond the arc in the 2025-26 season, so his presence on the court was crucial to provide counterbalance for Thompson’s offensive limitations.
Ideally, the Pistons would like to be able to deploy Thompson on the floor freely without the burden of making sure he’s surrounded by plus-shooters to carry his slack. If Thompson can develop remnants of a reliable outside jump shot, then the deal he just signed with Detroit is going to look like a bargain several years down the line, especially if the salary cap continues to increase on a regular basis.
Not only would Thompson’s ability to develop a jumper help his growth and usage, it would also give the Pistons the option to play AT alongside Ron Holland II to give Detroit an utterly suffocating defensive tandem on the wings. The Pistons did play Thompson and Holland together sparingly last season, but it was not a legitimate option considering their lack of shot creation, so that’s a clear area where AT could improve.
Overall, the Pistons signed Thompson to a fully-guaranteed contract without any options included, so he’ll be stationed in the Motor City as the resident defensive menace for years to come. With that deal in the rear view mirror, now the Pistons can focus on signing Duren before pre-season opens up on Oct. 5.
