AUBURN HILLS -- Stan Van Gundy asserted today that he wants Brandon Jennings in a Detroit Pistons uniform beyond this season.
That is an uncertain proposition. Jennings, the reserve point guard who was starter until suffering a major injury one year ago, is in the final year of a three-year, $24 million contract and is eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.
But Van Gundy, the Pistons' president of basketball operations and head coach, emphasized that he does not view Jennings' presence here as a short-term matter.
"We have had talks about this year, and he knows that I'm not looking at this -- I'm not -- as just a this-year thing," Van Gundy said. "Obviously, a lot of that would come down to whether the role would meet his expectations, whether the money would meet his expectations, there's a lot of things that go into it. But I'm a big Brandon fan. I like Brandon. I'm a big Reggie fan, too. And I think, at times, they could operate very well together. We'll just have to see where it goes."
Jennings' contract will take on added heft in the Pistons' future plans if he continues to play at a high level, as he has during his first four games back after suffering a torn left Achilles one year ago this month.
Jennings had 17 points and six assists in 18 minutes during Monday's rout of the Orlando Magic, and the quality of his play so quickly after a major injury has surprised almost everyone.
"You never have too many good players," Van Gundy said, "and I'm certainly, from my standpoint, Brandon coming back to help, if there's a way we can work it to have him back, I would love that, because number one, I think he's a very good player; number two, I think he's matured into a good leader and team guy; and he absolutely loves the game. I think Brandon does a lot for our team, even besides what he does on the court. What his goals will be, and everything else -- everything would have to mesh up -- but from my standpoint, I would love to have him back."
Jennings was signed during the Joe Dumars regime and his time here has been checkered.
He latched on quickly to his first coach in Detroit, Maurice Cheeks, and was disconsolate when the coach was dismissed after 50 games.
His second season, the Pistons surged in a post-holiday 12-3 run until the night Jennings was injured, Jan. 24, 2015, in Milwaukee.
"When we started to turn things last year, after Christmas, he was the catalyst, really," Van Gundy said. "And not just obviously he played real well, but it was from day one, the practice after the Brooklyn game, when we were 5-23, his work and everything else."
The Pistons will work in the days ahead to put in more opportunities for starter Reggie Jackson and Jennings to play together, though Van Gundy said actually employing that pairing would be a more organic, situational decision than design.
"I think when you get to things like playing two point guards together, it's not something that I'm going to sit down and plan going into every game. I think it's more need," Van Gundy said. "If we're having trouble making plays, and we think getting another playmaker, ballhandler in the game would help, if other teams go small and play two point guards and we think the matchups are beneficial -- it's all of those things."
It also could be essential to the long-term plan to get the dual-point-guard alignment installed: If the Pistons can entice Jennings to take a what figures to be an eight-figure annual salary to remain in Detroit beyond this season, they will want to find ways to get him on the floor more.
"Right now, we've got guys playing heavy minutes," Van Gundy said. "There's certainly enough minutes to give somebody more minutes without gradually decreasing people. I don't think it's ideal for us, for the whole year, that guys are up in the 37-, 38-minute range. So we can afford to use guys more minutes."
