The Detroit Pistons and center Andre Drummond have agreed to a five-year, $130 million maximum contract extension, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, although Drummond can opt out of the deal after four seasons.
The agreement was first reported by espn.com.
The deal _ which was widely expected _ makes the 22-year-old the highest-paid player in Pistons history.
The Pistons would have preferred a deal without an opt-out clause, but Drummond showed good faith by agreeing to wait on the extension that he could have signed last offseason, in order to give the Pistons extra salary cap space. Drummond gave up instant security to help the franchise, so the Pistons apparently decided to reward him.
The contract can't be signed until the NBA's free-agency moratorium ends Thursday, and the Pistons will delay the signing until they've completed their free-agency business. That allows the Pistons to use up their cap space while they hold Drummond's Bird Rights, which allow teams to go over the cap to retain their own free agents.
Drummond is coming off a season in which he earned his first All-Star berth and rebounding title, but he made national headlines with one of the worst NBA seasons ever at the free-throw line. He frequently was benched in the fourth quarter, when teams would intentionally foul him.
But Pistons owner Tom Gores already had said where these contract negotiations were heading. "No hesitation," Gores told reporters moments after the Cavaliers swept the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs in April. "Come on, look at all the big guys in the league. Come on."
Despite the free-throw weakness and inconsistent effort, Drummond remains one of the league's most talented players. The Pistons' No. 1 offseason priority was getting a long-term commitment from the 6-11 center.
Also Friday, the Pistons got a three-year commitment from former Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ish Smith. And the Free Press has reported for months that the Pistons are interested in Atlanta Hawks free agent big man Al Horford. He remains on the board.
