Mason Plumlee’s run as a starting center in Detroit lasted only one season, and now the veteran big man may be staring at the end of his NBA career.
The former Pistons starter is an unrestricted free agent at 36, and there haven’t been any rumors connecting him to another team. After barely seeing the floor last season with the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs, Plumlee may be forced into retirement.
Detroit signed Plumlee to a three-year, $25 million deal in 2020, bringing him in to anchor the middle. He delivered a solid stat line in his lone season with the Pistons, averaging 10.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game.
No Pistons player posted more win shares that year, but the team still finished with just 20 wins. The organization moved on before the 2021 draft, a decision that also pushed Detroit back 20 spots.
At the time, the move fit the direction of the rebuild. The Pistons wanted to put Isaiah Stewart front and center and avoid paying Plumlee while chasing a top draft pick.
Since then, Plumlee’s production has trended sharply downward. He played only 20 games for the Hornets before being dealt to the Thunder at the deadline, and Oklahoma City waived him right away.
He then landed with the Spurs, but appeared in just six games. That stretch produced the worst value over replacement player of his career, and no team has shown interest in bringing him in.
Plumlee’s NBA résumé is still a strong one. He was the 22nd overall pick in 2013 and spent 13 seasons with eight different teams.
The seven-footer bounced between starting and reserve roles, and at various points he played behind Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, and Victor Wembanyama. His advanced numbers were often strong, even when the eye test and the box score didn’t always line up.
He also helped Duke win an NCAA title and won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 World Cup.
For Pistons fans, though, his Detroit chapter is easy to leave in the past. That 20-win season came during the early stages of a painful rebuild, and while it helped lay the groundwork for the current roster, it wasn’t much fun in the moment. Plumlee signed with the Spurs in February on a rest-of-the-season deal, barely played, and now his long decline may have reached its final stop.
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