NBA free agent rumors: Pistons offer Isaiah Thomas contract
By Bryan Rose
The Detroit Pistons were one of the first teams to show interest in Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas once free agency opened on Tuesday morning and not only reached out to the 5’9 talent, but also offered him a contract.
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That’s the word from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders who says the Pistons have put forth a three-year, $24 million dollar offer on the table.
If that sounds like a hefty chunk of change, that’s because it is. Rumors suggested that the Sacramento Kings were hoping that Isaiah Thomas would command a salary in the $6 million annually range, however the bump up to $8 million on a year-to-year basis may have put Thomas out of their price range.
A restricted free agent, the Kings will have every opportunity to match such a contract, though it should be noted that Isaiah Thomas has not only stated his desire to remain with the Sacramento Kings but has also yet to sign the offer sheet. That might be because he’s hopeful that he and the Kings can work out their own deal or because he’s waiting to see if he gets any larger offers. Either way, the market is now set for the pint sized point guard.
As for Sacramento’s options moving forward, assuming Thomas does sign the offer sheet, they can either match the deal, let Thomas walk or engaged the Pistons in a potential sign-and-trade deal.
The Kings are said to want to retain Thomas, though at $8 million annually, they might not be able to afford such a deal.