Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy can envision the team re-signing Brandon Jennings if they can agree on a price and a role for the point guard, as Van Gundy explained to reporters today, including MLive’s David Mayo. Jennings confirmed that he and Van Gundy have spoken about the idea of a new contract when Jennings hits free agency in the summer, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
“We have had talks about this year, and he knows that I’m not looking at this — I’m not — as just a this-year thing,” Van Gundy said, according to Mayo. “Obviously, a lot of that would come down to whether the role would meet his expectations, whether the money would meet his expectations, there’s a lot of things that go into it. But I’m a big Brandon fan. I like Brandon. I’m a big Reggie [Jackson] fan, too. And I think, at times, they could operate very well together. We’ll just have to see where it goes.”
Jennings told Ellis earlier this season that he and Pistons owner Tom Gores had engaged in “a father-son type” chat that appeared to point to a strong relationship between the franchise and the seventh-year veteran who said earlier this week he’d like to stay in Detroit at least through season’s end. See more on the point guards in the Motor City:
- Jennings is helping transform the Pistons bench from a drag on the team into a strong second unit, as Ellis examines.
- Jackson has experienced ups and downs this season, but on the whole, he’s beginning to justify Van Gundy’s assertion that his much-pilloried five-year, $80MM contract would ultimately look like a bargain, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “You have a lot of opportunities, but you’re the guy who’s going to be criticized a lot because you’re expected to do a lot more than other people,” Van Gundy said. “He’s handled it very well. And he understands and accepts the responsibility and knows there is going to be some good and bad — and he moves on pretty well.”
- The Pistons will likely send Spencer Dinwiddie on D-League assignment for this week’s D-League showcase, but Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock will probably stay with the NBA club, Van Gundy told reporters, including Ellis (Twitter link).
They need Jennings, period.
For their second unit, definetly. But there is a strong chance he walks at the end of the year and getting value for him (instead of selling low) is their best option.
Jennings and Jackson genuinely get along but I don’t see Jennings settling for a sixth-man role at this point of his career. He will help the Pistons dramatically this season if he keeps playing the way he did on Monday. But he’ll want to be a starter again after this season and there are teams that could certainly use him.