The Jalen Duren saga has been dragging on too long. He and the Detroit Pistons have yet to come to an agreement on a new contract extension, and at this point, it’s the type of negotiation that feels like it could end in a bad way. But for as badly as Duren and the Pistons need the saga to end, Cade Cunningham may need a resolution more than anyone else.
Right now, the current Pistons roster looks rough. It’s a downgrade from last season’s. And if Duren doesn’t sign, then it’s just that much worse. Cunningham needs a starting-caliber center to play with, and Duren is much more than that. He’s an All-Star. An All-NBA guy. If Cunningham gets Duren back, the Pistons can be legitimately competitive.
But if Duren is overly upset heading into next year, or if the Pistons lose him completely somehow, then they will be wasting a year of Cunningham’s title contention window.
Pistons' beef with Jalen Duren is hurting Cade Cunningham
Obviously, the Duren situation is less than ideal. Starting this type of beef with one of your own players is never what you want, but contracts are important in today’s NBA. More than ever.
The Pistons don’t want to overpay Duren and then have a massive albatross of a contract on the books for years. Unfortunately, that means they are having to deal with this uncomfortable situation in the short-term.
And right now, it looks like Cunningham could be the guy who has to suffer because of it. If he doesn’t have his co-star back next season, then he’ll be in a pretty rough spot.
All the Pistons have done this summer is add John Collins, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris. And in exchange for those guys, they lost Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert – two guys who took on major scoring roles in the playoffs.
Needless to say, it hasn’t exactly been an ideal offseason for Detroit. And causing any more bad blood with Duren is only going to make the situation worse.
And again, it’s Cunningham who will continue to suffer. He’s ready to help the Pistons compete for a title, but in order to do that, he needs the right team around him. Duren is part of that team.
If the Pistons can get Duren back (and happy) before the start of next season, then Cunningham will have a co-star, and the Pistons will have a legit chance at making a run in the East.
If not, then they will waste a year of Cunningham’s prime.
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