The biggest threat to the Pistons' Jalen Duren plans hasn't gone away

It’s no secret that the Detroit Pistons want to re-sign Jalen Duren, but it’s also no secret that they are reluctant to give him a max deal after the way he performed in the playoffs. 

Detroit took the first step yesterday by tendering the qualifying offer, which officially made Jalen a restricted free agent. 

With multiple cap space teams potentially vying for his services, the Pistons were facing a situation where they might have to pay more than they wanted to keep Duren. 

That possibility dwindled last night, when the Nets and Bulls were involved in a three-team trade with Minnesota that sent Julius Randle to Brooklyn and Nic Claxton to the Bulls. 

There are two fewer teams for the Pistons to worry about 

The Bulls and Nets are two of the teams with cap space, some of which they just surrendered to make the trade, so they are likely not suitors for Duren, as it would take a max deal to steal him away. 

The Bulls just got a center in Claxton, who can at least be a stop gap, and with the Nets eating Randle’s salary, they are less likely to be interested (or able) in pursuing Duren. 

Considering Chicago was one of the biggest threats to put in an offer sheet, having them out of the mix could end up saving the Pistons a lot of money, unless another suitor emerges. 

If there aren’t any realistic suitors for Duren, the Pistons will hold all of the cards and should be able to dictate the terms in negotiations. 

Unfortunately, the biggest threat is still out there. 

The Lakers are still looming for Duren 

The Lakers are another team that could have cap space to use and is looking for an upgrade at center. Luka Doncic has made it clear he wants to play with an All-Star center, so they could emerge as the biggest threat to steal Duren. 

The Lakers can only offer four years, while the Pistons can give Duren five, but if they wanted to offer the max for those four seasons, it would force the Pistons into a tough decision. 

Luckily, this scenario is unlikely, as the Lakers have their own high-end free agent to worry about in Austin Reaves and may not be able to cobble together enough cap space to make that kind of offer to Duren. 

The Pistons didn’t emerge from last night’s opening salvo with anything, but they may have been one of the winners of the night, as the threats for Duren are fading, which could allow them to keep their 22-year-old All-NBA center at a price they can stomach. 

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