The Jalen Duren restricted free agency saga is one of the last major points of intrigue in this NBA offseason, as the 22-year-old All-NBA center remains without a contract. We’re mere weeks away from the start of preseason, and the possibility of Duren signing the qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season is looming large.
But sure enough, as we creep closer to the deadline, the Pistons keep upping their offer. A week ago we heard that they had offered five years and $190 million, and now, on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that they’ve offered a five-year, $200 million deal, which is the amount Duren was said to be seeking.
A deal still isn’t done, and we don’t know the details of that offer, but it’s clear that Duren has salvaged a bit of leverage and the Pistons are getting genuinely worried about ruining the relationship and pushing a young building block out the door.
Why a $200M Duren deal creates major spacing issues in Detroit
Although the possibility of him leaving Detroit for nothing after the year is appealing to rival Eastern Conference teams like the Celtics, it may actually not be the best outcome.
For one thing, if Duren leaves, he could sign with any team, including a more threatening competitor in the East, or the Clippers, who owe the Celtics a 2028 pick swap in round one and could be chomping at the bit to overpay a big-name free agent to keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot.
But beyond that, Boston shouldn’t be scared of Detroit committing this money to Duren, essentially locking in a team of Cade Cunningham, Duren, and Ausar Thompson, whom they extended earlier this month for five years and $155 million. That’s a good young core, but it has plenty of flaws, with Duren and Thompson both non-shooters who struggled to play together in the playoffs.
The Pistons would be massively investing in three players who simply may never be good enough to win a title. They have already made it clear that they don’t really want to pay Duren this much. After his playoff struggles, it’s not crazy to think they could be anchoring themselves to a disastrous contract that will cripple their ability to compete during Cunningham’s prime.
How Detroit’s financial crunch helps Boston maintain East dominance
Just a few months ago, this team seemed to be in a great spot and set up to compete for the East crown for years to come, with one of the brightest futures in the league. And that may still be the case. But it also now seems like they’re signing a deal under duress that they’re lukewarm on, at best.
Maybe it works out, and this core keeps improving and gets over the hump. There’s a real chance these deals end up looking like value contracts in a few years. But there’s also a chance things go off the rails, and given how these negotiations have played out, even if the ink gets signed, it doesn’t seem like either side will be particularly happy.
This could be the next team with major in-house problems, and that would be great news for the Celtics, as they could be watching the only team in the East to finish with a better record than them last season self-combust.
Add us as a preferred source on Google