The longer Jalen Duren remains unsigned in free agency, the Detroit Pistons will be forced to reconsider whether the hassle is worth the reward.
Duren's All-NBA season officially made him eligible for a five-year supermax extension, but his underwhelming play in the postseason immediately made the chances of the big man landing that payday at an all-time low.
At 22, there's a lot to like about the potential of his continued development in the Motor City, and one bad postseason run shouldn't completely alter his future with the Pistons, but given the challenges and restrictions the new CBA guidelines offer, Detroit has no reason to put themselves in a bad spot by adding another massive contract on the books, especially when they have the leverage.
Still, Duren seems dedicated to landing the massive payday he feels he's earned, and the early interest from the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers prior to signing Walker Kessler suggests that some teams believe he's worth more than Detroit is offering.
The Pistons originally shut down any sign-and-trade opportunities, which deterred the Kings' pursuit, but as time goes on, the possibility of dealing with Sacramento may be the best-case scenario at this point.
Domontas Sabonis is a great fit & presents the Pistons with an early out
Obviously, any deal between the Pistons and Kings would be an expected swap between Domontas Sabonis and Duren, which may seem underwhelming to some given the age gap and future upside.
At the same time, Sabonis is a former All-Star himself, and he's earned All-NBA honors twice throughout his career.
The Kings' star has regressed over the last couple of seasons, especially since the departure of his running mate, De'Aaron Fox, but injuries have also contributed to that decline.
At his best, though, Sabonis is a monster on the boards, and he's one of the best passing bigs in the league, which alone would make Cade Cunningham's job much easier, given the guard is the only reliable playmaker on the roster at the moment.
The other side of why this move makes sense is that Sabonis is on the books for two more seasons at around 27% of the cap, and while that's not exactly chump change, he would give the Pistons the potential to let him walk in free agency in the summer of 2028 or re-sign him to a more team-friendly deal.
Duren's commitment to landing a bag would put him on the books for much longer, and while in theory that gives Cunningham a long-term co-star, it also puts Detroit in the exact situation they don't want to be in as the CBA continues to dismantle teams.
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