Detroit Pistons re-sign Marvin Bagley III to 3-year, $37.5 million deal in NBA free agency

As expected, the Detroit Pistons have reached an agreement with their lone restricted free agent.

The Pistons re-signed 23-year-old big man Marvin Bagley III to a three-year, $37.5 million contract Thursday, league sources confirmed to the Free Press, on Day 1 of NBA free agency. The deal is fully guaranteed with no options on either side.

The Pistons later Thursday agreed on a deal with free agent forward Kevin Knox II, and now have roughly $9 million in available cap space remaining. They have 15 players on the roster.

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Bagley, who arrived from Sacramento at the 2022 trade deadline for Trey Lyles, Josh Jackson and picks, made a strong impression last season and is now positioned for a large role next season.

In 18 games after the trade, Bagley averaged 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds on 55.5% shooting — the best percentage of his career, had it been a full season. He quickly found chemistry with the Pistons young guard duo of Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes, and made it clear he feels comfortable in Detroit after a tumultuous start to his career with the Sacramento Kings.

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“When I got here, the spirits were high in the locker room,” he said during his end-of-season news conference in April. “We took every game seriously and we approached every day with a mindset of just getting better. These past few weeks have been exciting for me. Probably the most fun I’ve had playing the game, and that’s how it’s supposed to feel. I’m used to being in an environment and group where playing basketball is fun.”

Bagley carved out a role as a high-energy big man who can finish lobs and score from nearly anywhere inside the arc. He filled a need for a Pistons team lacking frontcourt depth and…