Pistons Rumors: Marvin Bagley III Agrees to 3-Year, $37M Contract

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The Detroit Pistons and forward Marvin Bagley III have agreed to a a new three-year, $37 million contract at the start of free agency, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

The 23-year-old averaged 11.3 points on 50.4 percent shooting and 7.0 rebounds in 48 games for the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons last season.

The Kings dealt Bagley to the Pistons on Feb. 10 in a four-team deal that also included the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Sacramento selected the Duke product with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, but his career just didn’t pan out with the Kings.

Injuries were a big factor. Most notably, a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb held him to 13 games in 2019-20. He also missed time in 2018-19 with a bone bruise in his left knee.

There were also issues between the Bagleys and ex-Kings coach Luke Walton, with Bagley’s father publicly asking the Kings to trade his son in Jan. 2021:

“I felt like a weight was taken off my back,” he said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

“I felt like I could have fun playing basketball. Being in a new environment, new facility, new teammates, new faces, I think that’s what I needed. To finally get that, I’m going to make the most of the opportunity.”

Bagley looked good in 18 games (eight starts) with the Pistons, averaging 14.6 points on 55.5 percent shooting and 6.8 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game. That stretch provides optimism for the future that he can rejuvenate his career and enjoy brighter days.

He’s still only 23 years old, so the storybook on his career is far from over. Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what he needs.