The Detroit Pistons, on Monday night, made a huge move to keep one of the burgeoning members of their young core, agreeing with Isaiah Stewart on a four-year, $64 million extension to keep the big man in Motor City until the end of the 2026-27 season. The Pistons acquired Stewart days after the 2020 NBA Draft when they dealt away Christian Wood to the Houston Rockets, and since then Stewart has been continuing to improve.

But it's certainly interesting to ponder the thought as to whether Stewart is worth all that money. Sure, the Pistons have a clean cap sheet moving forward, as they even made use of their cap space during the 2023 offseason to absorb the contracts of Joe Harris and Monte Morris. Certainly, they had room to sign Stewart to such a huge extension.

But compared to similar players, did the Pistons end up paying fair value? Or did they end up overpaying Isaiah Stewart with the vision of what he could end up being instead of what he is at the moment?

With that in mind, here are the grades for both the Pistons and Isaiah Stewart regarding the four-year, $64 million contract extension the two parties agreed to.

Pistons' grade: B

No, the Pistons did not severely overpay for Isaiah Stewart's services. Stewart is only 22 years old, and he averaged 11.3 points and 8.1 rebounds even as he had to accommodate his teammates in the frontcourt by venturing beyond the arc more often. As a result, Stewart's efficiency fell, as he took 3.5 more attempts from three per game than the previous season, and his block rate, which was at a solid 5.2 percent as a rookie, fell even further to 2.1 percent last year.

Even then, Stewart's transformation as a stretch-four last season should bode well for his development and continued place as one of the Pistons' most important players. Even though he upped his three-point attempts per game by nearly 600 percent, he still managed to maintain a similar percentage. With another offseason of work, perhaps Stewart can up his 32.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc to around 35 to 36 percent, and given how much he contributes in other facets, that output from deep should warrant him heavy minutes.

Stewart is mobile enough to guard quicker 4s, and is strong enough to stand his ground against post players at the five. Stewart's versatility and utility as a swiss-army knife for the team are certainly valuable assets. But is he $16 million per year (on average) valuable?

That remains unclear. Given time, Stewart certainly could be worth that kind of money. But for now, that may be a bit of an overpay for someone who could find himself lost in the shuffle of the Pistons' rotation — especially when he's had to be stretched out of his comfort zone given the glut of bigs on the roster who's battling him for minutes.

It's too early right now to be thinking about playoff-viability, but at the end of the day, that's what would dictate Stewart's value around the league. If he continues to make strides when it comes to defending on the perimeter, he should be worth an average of $16 million, no questions asked. But for now, this deal is certainly looking like a small overpay, especially when, as The Athletic pointed out, league sources believe that he was worth around $12-$14 million on the market.

Isaiah Stewart's grade: A+

Given Isaiah Stewart's limitations on the offensive end of the floor, nabbing a $64 million deal should qualify as nothing but a major win. His contract worth of around $16 million per season should also mean that the Pistons end up prioritizing him over their other bigs. Thus, with a larger role comes a larger possibility of emerging as one of the best talents in the NBA, which should set him up for another big contract in 2027.

Still, with new head coach Monty Williams arriving, there looms a very huge possibility that Isaiah Stewart could be relegated to more of a 20 to 25 minute role, which isn't ideal. After an impressive rookie year, Jalen Duren's potential to emerge as one of the best rim protectors in the NBA is tantalizing, and the Pistons certainly owe it to themselves to bring out the best in the 19-year old highflyer.

However, knowing Stewart's work ethic, he should also remain motivated to work hard and set himself apart from the Pistons' stockpile of other big men. The intangibles he provides — defensive communication, emotional and vocal leadership — should also allow him to remain heavily involved within the team for years to come. But for now, the financial security of $64 million, given the uncertainty of the Pistons' rebuild, should make Stewart a happy, happy man.