The new season is rapidly approaching but Jalen Duren still has yet to come to terms on a new deal with the Pistons. Detroit's front office has held out against him all summer in the hopes of getting him on a significant discount. Although the measures may seem extreme at this point, other recent examples such as Evan Mobley's extension in Cleveland are evidence enough that the Pistons are doing the right thing.
Evan Mobley's extension has made life hard for the Cavaliers
Two years ago, Mobley signed a maximum rookie extension with escalator clauses that is now worth 30% of the salary cap per season. It's the same extension that Cade Cunningham took that summer. But the difference is that Cade actually produces at a superstar level like one of the top 10 players in the league. Mobley isn't quite on that level, but is getting paid the same; this has made it hard for the Cavs to build a championship roster.
This may sound rich coming from the Pistons' perspective after the Cavs knocked them out of last season's playoffs. But Detroit is still better set up for long-term success than Cleveland, with a lot of the blame resting on Mobley's shoulders. The Cavs have had to rely on two expensive aging guards for offensive creation, while the Pistons can count on Cade to carry their offense in any way necessary.
Since Mobley's extension kicked in, the Cavs have been at or close to the second apron. With the associated CBA restrictions, their flexibility for adding upgrades across the roster is extremely limited. Because of Mobley's massive deal, the Cavs are practically locked in to their current core, even if that core proves unable to produce a championship.
The Pistons can't repeat the same mistake with Duren
Even having a repeat of Mobley's exact situation could be difficult for the Pistons. But the sad truth is that Duren was vastly outplayed in the playoffs by Mobley. As such, even a much smaller deal has become a point of contention between Duren and the front office. With the Pistons' current roster construction, including all its shooting flaws, they will need more cap space to allocate elsewhere if they keep Duren as a long-term core piece.
In today's NBA, teams are getting more strict with handing out max money to young players for good reason. Overpaying the wrong player can set a team up for years of frustration and mediocrity. So far, the Pistons haven't seen enough from Duren when it matters most to give him what he demands.
Other teams have already proven the Pistons right for holding strong against Duren. Mobley might be the most relevant example as a full max contract, but he's not the only one that's gotten overpaid and hurt his team in the process.
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