Pistons' most important free agency decision may not be Jalen Duren

Most of the talk around the Detroit Pistons this offseason has been about restricted free agent Jalen Duren, but he might not be the most important free agent on the roster. 

Starting power forward Tobias Harris is an unrestricted free agent, so retaining him will be even more difficult than Duren, and the truth is that he might be more important even if he is not a starting option. 

The Pistons have Jalen Duren replacements 

The negotiation with 22-year-old All-NBA center Jalen Duren will take center stage this summer, and it’s possible the Pistons walk away empty-handed. 

They can’t offer Duren the supermax he is eligible for after his showing in the playoffs, but they also can’t lowball him, as some other team would love to get their hands on a player his age who is already an All-Star. 

It’s a tough spot for the Pistons, but if some other team offers the max, which is around 4 years, $177 million, Detroit will have to think twice about matching. I’m sure there is a number the Pistons can live with, but Detroit can’t go too crazy. 

They have other options at center in Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed and can likely find a third guy to complement them on the cheap, perhaps even someone who can shoot. 

As much as the Pistons would love to have Duren back, there is a point where they have to walk away, and if that happens, it wouldn’t be catastrophic to their team building. 

The Pistons don’t have a power forward 

At this current time, the Detroit Pistons do not have a power forward on the roster, which is obviously something they will have to address this summer. Unlike with Jalen Duren, the Pistons don’t have options waiting behind Tobias Harris, who was an important player for Detroit in several ways. 

Most would agree that the Pistons need an upgrade here but even if they find one, retaining their veteran security blanket as a role player would still be a smart move. Letting Harris walk for nothing would leave the Pistons with two holes to fill, as they’d need a starting four plus a backup. 

Duren is obviously the more important player to the future of the team but letting him go wouldn’t even require any additional moves, as the Pistons already have Tolu Smith under contract if they want to exercise his team option. 

Harris may not be part of the long-term plans but losing him means extra roster shuffling this summer. Ideally, they keep them both on deals the team can live with, while making the necessary additions they need around them, but there is a world where the Pistons lose their starting frontcourt this offseason and are forced to start over. 

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