Despite recent reports of negotiations getting “awfully nasty“ between the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren, the two sides are reportedly “still on track” for a long-term contract, according to Jake Fischer on Bleacher Report. Fischer cites in his report that Duren is looking for a deal that is closer to the contract signed this summer by fellow big man Walker Kessler (4 years for $130 million) than the contract signed by another center, Mitchell Robinson (3 years for $47.5 million).
Some throughout the NBA have questioned whether or not the Pistons and Duren can repair their relationship upon a new deal. However, a source close to the situation told Fischer that once the All-Star center signs a long-term deal that secures his financial future, wounds can eventually begin to heal.
One factor that Fischer discusses on the Bleacher Report live stream as well is the looming extension for fellow Pistons prospect Ausar Thompson. Fischer said there are people in the organization who believe that even though Jalen joined Cade Cunningham on an All-NBA team, it is Thompson who’s viewed as the better player now and in the long term. Any time that a player hears that they aren’t as valued as they thought, that can cause real damage. However, few things can rebuild bridges quite like backing up a Brink’s truck.
It’s been well chronicled how contentious of a saga the negotiations have been in the restricted free agency of Jalen Duren. The Pistons have been insistent to the press since before the draft that they intend on keeping Jalen Duren in the Motor City for the long term, but Duren’s side hasn’t always had the same plans in mind. At one point in July, Duren and his camp looked for sign-and-trade scenarios to teams like the Sacramento Kings, Boston Celtics, and even the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, according to Jake Fischer, the idea of a Jalen Duren sign-and-trade died for Detroit once Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Once the Celtics decided to pursue the trade package centered on Paul George and picks, there was no realistic scenario for the Pistons to pursue in a sign-and-trade. As much interest as there was from teams like Sacramento, there was never a realistic path to a deal.
When the Pistons decided that they would allow Jalen Duren to reach restricted free agency, this was always the risk they were dealing with. But restricted free agency is just that: restricted. Duren’s camp can dig in, but the options have always been clear. They can sign an offer sheet from a team in the open market, but leave upwards of tens of millions of dollars on the table. Since those opportunities have dried up, that’s no longer an option. They can sign the qualifying offer, worth just $9.61 million for one season, and bet on themselves in unrestricted free agency next summer. But if Duren were to suffer a setback in play or in health, he’d be leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table.
Which is why the most realistic path for Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons has been to come together and make a deal. There are no guarantees that it will happen anytime soon, or that Duren will even be in Detroit for the duration of the deal. But despite what they might be saying in negotiations, both sides badly need each other right now. As long as that is the case, Detroit will be hard-pressed to consider a future without the star center.
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