The Detroit Pistons have made it clear they want to sign Reggie Bullock and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to extensions. But they may have hit a bit of a snag.
According to a new report, Caldwell-Pope may already be looking for a ton of money. Following from Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:
There was gossip over the summer that it would take a deal worth north of $20 million per year to get Caldwell-Pope’s signature.
With the cap rise last summer and the smaller one coming this summer, it shouldn’t be too surprising that KCP is asking for so much. He is a mostly unproven player, yes, but those with one discernible skill (e.g. defense in his case) are making plenty of cash in today’s NBA.
I doubt the Pistons will rush to get a deal done if Caldwell-Pope is asking for so much. That’s close enough to his max to allow the Pistons to let him hit restricted free agency next offseason. At that point, they can wait and let the market dictate how much to pay their young guard.
The Pistons should do everything in their power to keep Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. However, they should also be trying to keep him at a reasonable price. Detroit is already paying Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond a ton of money; they should try to save some.
The deadline to sign an extension is October 31.
