Thompson Is Locked In. Now Detroit Needs the Other One.

Ausar Thompson agreed to a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale extension with the Pistons on Thursday, a deal that kicks in after this season and keeps Detroit's best perimeter defender under contract through his prime. He earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive First Team in his third season, and the Pistons moved quickly to make sure that kind of player doesn't reach the open market. At roughly $31 million a year, it's a straightforward piece of business for a front office that has been deliberate all summer.

Thompson's value to this team isn't about scoring — his 9.7 points per game last season tell you that much. It's about what he does to opposing guards, the way he changes shot quality at the point of attack, the defensive credibility he gives a roster built around Cade Cunningham's offense. Detroit finished 60-22 and won close games at a rate that left the front office unsatisfied; better late-game defense is part of the answer, and Thompson is the centerpiece of that plan.

The one loose thread the extension doesn't touch is Jalen Duren. As of a week ago, those talks had stalled badly enough that the qualifying offer was being discussed as a real possibility. Thompson's deal removes one uncertainty heading into training camp, but the bigger one is still sitting there unresolved. Detroit can feel good about Thursday. The work isn't done.