Pistons owner Tom Gores said he’s willing to pay the luxury tax to extend Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s contract.
What about Detroit’s other extension-eligible shooting guard, Reggie Bullock?
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:
Bullock isn’t as accomplished as most players who receive rookie-scale extensions. But, occasionally, teams find common ground with a reserve entering the fourth-year of his rookie-scale contract.
The problem with Bullock is he just hasn’t played much – 10 minutes per game in 116 games in three years with the Clippers, Suns and Pistons. He fits the rough outline of a 3-and-D player, but he hasn’t shown either skill enough to prove his NBA value.
Detroit might learn more about him this year. After the Pistons traded Jodie Meeks to the Magic, the door is even more open for minutes behind Caldwell-Pope, though Bullock will also have to compete with Darrun Hilliard, Michael Gbinije and maybe even Stanley Johnson if Detroit plays big.
With the 2017-18 luxury tax looming, the Pistons will probably want another season to evaluate Bullock. But if he’s willing to accept less in exchange for security, Detroit could make a value play and agree to an extension. After all, the 2017-18 tax won’t be calculated until April 2018. That leaves plenty of time to make a trade to duck under the tax line.