The Detroit Pistons were unable to come to an extension agreement with Jalen Duren over the summer, and according to one report, didn’t really try.
It’s a decision that has since blown up in their faces (not really), as Duren has had the best stretch of his career and now looks closer to a max guy than one who will make $20 million per season.
Duren bet on himself, and he made the right call, as he’s shown everything the Pistons could possibly want from him over the first month of the season.
Tim Bontemps of ESPN recently reported that there wasn’t a lot of action when it came to Duren’s extension talks, saying:
“There was virtually no talk of Duren and Detroit getting a deal done heading into the league's rookie extension deadline Oct. 20.”
There may be no truth to this surprising rumor, as the Pistons tend to keep things within the organization and could have had extensive talks behind the scenes.
Yes, the Pistons probably wish they had just extended Duren in the summer, but it’s not going to cost them anything but money, which carries far less risk than the alternative.
The Detroit Pistons regret nothing, as Jalen Duren is thriving
Signing Duren to a lucrative extension before he had made the leap we are currently seeing would have been a risky move for the Pistons.
Though there were occasional signs of this kind of progress last season, they were flashes and certainly not consistent, especially on the defensive end. Signing Duren early put the team at risk of having a bad contract on the books, something they do not currently have.
Waiting will mean a few more million for Duren, but that’s far better than the alternative of having signed him and him not living up to his contract. If he was good, the Pistons were going to have to pay him anyway, and he’s unlikely to get much more than the $30 million per year he was seeking, so it was worth the patience for the Pistons, who are going to get their guy either way.
Also, continuing to lowball Duren this offseason wouldn’t have benefitted him or the team. It was better to say, “here’s where we are” and move on from the issue. There was no reason for this to get ugly, as I am sure the Pistons gave Duren assurances that he was a big part of their future and would get the payday he sought if he made the improvements the team needed to see.
It was amicable throughout, which it may not have been had the Pistons tried to pressure him into a team-friendly deal. Both sides were happy to be patient, and it has worked out for both, as Duren is going to get paid and the Pistons aren’t too concerned if they have to lighten Tom Gores’ pockets a bit more.
Hindsight is indeed 20/20, but the Pistons would likely stand by their decision and are happy to pay more for a guy who is playing like an All-NBA center.