It’s easy to evaluate in hindsight, but it’s now clear the Detroit Pistons should have extended Jalen Duren last summer, and that decision is going to cost them in the next one.
We spent the whole offseason talking about whether the Pistons should extend Duren, and the decision not to was actually the pragmatic one. But it was also reported that the Pistons didn’t really even have discussions, which seems odd considering there might have been a number both sides would have agreed to.
After Duren’s progression this season so far, that number has certainly gone up and the Pistons may not be the only team bidding.
The Detroit Pistons are vulnerable to an offer sheet for Jalen Duren
Duren is only a restricted free agent, so the Pistons aren’t at any real risk of losing him, as they can match any offer sheet. All the other teams know that, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make it painful for the Pistons, according to a recent interview with John Hollinger in The Athletic (subscription), who thinks another team or two could force the Pistons into a max deal for Duren:
“... there are cap-room teams that need a center, and at least one of them might decide to drop a max offer sheet on Duren.
In particular, I would worry about the Chicago Bulls, who are desperate for a center, have an otherwise young core all around Duren’s age, and will have enough cap room to offer him a max contract.
It’s not just them: the Utah Jazz would be a major threat if Walker Kessler leaves; the Los Angeles Lakers will have max room and frontcourt needs if LeBron James doesn’t return; and teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers can make one or two trades to generate additional cap room and do a Myles Turner-style ambush contract.”
And if you are one of those teams, particularly division rivals like the Bulls and Pacers, why wouldn’t you? You can at least force the Pistons to use as much cap space as possible, and if Detroit didn’t want to pony up a max deal for Duren, then you’ve just landed your center of the future.
Strategically, it would be a smart move for Indiana or Chicago to put a max offer sheet on Duren just to make the Pistons match it and reduce some of their future financial flexibility.
The Pistons have the room to take Duren on as a max deal, as they still have a clean cap sheet, so this isn’t the end of the world.
It’s easy to say what they should have done in hindsight, but the decision not to extend Duren will be a costly one for the Pistons.