Pistons lock in Ausar Thompson with $155 million extension
The 23-year-old All-Defensive forward secures a fully guaranteed rookie-scale deal, making him and his twin brother the first siblings to each sign contracts worth over $100 million.
The Detroit Pistons have reached an agreement with forward Ausar Thompson on a five-year, $155 million contract extension, according to sources cited by ESPN. The fully guaranteed deal is classified as a rookie-scale extension, a designation that typically applies to players in their early years with a franchise.
Thompson, who was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has established himself as a premier defender in the league. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks while leading the NBA in steals per game with 2.0. His defensive prowess earned him a first-team All-Defense selection and a third-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The extension cements the status of the Thompson twins in the league. Ausar and his brother, Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson, are now the first brothers to each receive an NBA contract worth more than $100 million. Amen recently signed a five-year, $208 million rookie extension with the Rockets, bringing the combined value of the brothers' contracts to $363 million this offseason.
Thompson’s impact was particularly evident during Detroit’s run to the Eastern Conference semifinals. In 14 playoff games, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2 steals, and 1.8 blocks. He became the first player to record at least 25 steals and 25 blocks in a postseason since Anthony Davis in 2020.
The agreement comes after a period of recovery for the 23-year-old. His sophomore season was cut short by a blood clot diagnosis in March 2024, but he was cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel eight months later and successfully returned to action.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has been conducting concurrent negotiations with restricted free agent Jalen Duren. Detroit has offered Duren a contract in the range of more than $190 million, though both sides remain dug in, with the team believing it has made fair offers while Duren seeks a higher figure.
