Andre Drummond Delays Contract Negotiations Until Next Summer

By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby

The NBA's Nov. 2 deadline to sign a contract extension will come and go in Detroit this year, without Andre Drummond signing on the dotted line. The 22-year-old big man decided to delay contract negotiations until next year, according to NBA.com, which will give the Pistons an extra $13 million in cap space for the summer of 2016.

"When you go around and talk to players, every player says 'I'm all about winning,'" said head coach Stan Van Gundy, according to the article. "But this is a guy who's proving that he's all about winning. This guy's doing that to create the flexibility so that we can add to the roster significantly next summer. From my standpoint, you can't say enough about his commitment to the franchise, his commitment to winning and his leadership."

Drummond will still be compensated at the same level as he would have been had he signed an extension by Nov. 2, according to the story. A maximum contract for the 2016-17 season for a player at Drummond's age will be in the $20 million range.

Drummond has said in the past that Detroit "feels like home," and that he wants to build a contender here, rather than jump ship somewhere else. This decision should help Van Gundy, who's also serving as Detroit's president of basketball operations, bring some help for Drummond onto the team.

"I'm content with what we have," Drummond said, according to NBA.com. "I think we'll be a great team."