Drummond to hold off on extension, save Pistons cap room

The Detroit Pistons pretty much opted to keep Andre Drummond over Greg Monroe during the summer. This is something that seemed to be etched in stone when Stan Van Gundy took over as the team's president and head coach prior to the 2014-15 campaign.

Now heading into a season where the Pistons have renewed hope of earning a playoff spot in a lackluster Eastern Conference, it appears that Drummond is doing his team a solid.

Instead of agreeing to a max contract extension with Detroit ahead of a November 2 deadline, the big man is going to put off signing a deal that would have restricted the Pistons' presence on the free agent market next summer.

Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst:

"The move will allow the Pistons to enter free agency with nearly $13 million in additional salary-cap space next summer than if Drummond had signed a max contract extension now."

Without getting too much into the salary cap lingo here, this decision will allow the Pistons to use their Bird rights to re-sign Drummond next summer while having an ample amount of money to target at least one top-end free agent in a class that's going to be filled with difference makers.

There are risks for both sides here. While the former lottery pick has missed just one game over the past two seasons, he does risk losing out on a max deal should he suffer a serious injury. Meanwhile, the Pistons are betting on the 22-year-old center feeling good about the progress of the organization following the season.

For his part, Van Gundy doesn't seem to be too concerned:

"Andre wants to be here long-term. He wants us to have the flexibility to continue to add people to this team," Van Gundy said. "Every player says I'm all about winning. This guy is proving it."

This is the type of break a previously downtrodden Pistons organization needs. After missing out on the playoffs in each of the past six seasons, things are looking up for the franchise.

Drummond joins guards Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as well as fellow frontcourt players Stanley Johnson and Marcus Morris in forming the core of a team that should compete for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference this year.

With a solid season and under the leadership of a respected coach, Detroit could be in position to bring in a top-end free agent to add to this nucleus. Drummond's decision to forgo signing an extension now only adds to that possibility.

Check out Vincent's other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL