We are two thirds of the way through August and Jalen Duren still hasn’t signed with the Detroit Pistons, and it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime soon.Â
Now that Peyton Watson has been signed and traded, Duren is one of two high-profile restricted free agents still fighting the good fight in the war of restricted free agency along with Bennedict Mathurin, who also hasn’t signed.Â
We saw some of restricted free agency play out unusually quickly with guys like Walker Kessler, but what just happened with Peyton Watson and what is currently happening with Duren and Mathurin is now the new offseason norm when it comes to restricted free agents.
It’s become a boring war of attrition, one set up to benefit the teams, which is why we are seeing these stalemates end in one of two ways.
NBA teams aren’t giving in if they don’t have toÂ
The Nuggets were forced into trading Peyton Watson because of previous screw-ups, otherwise I am sure they would have kept him.Â
The threat of the second tax apron caused this loss of leverage, otherwise, Watson wouldn’t have had many options, just as Jalen Duren doesn’t now. That is one way this could play out, but the most likely scenario is that Duren eventually gives in.
Teams are reluctant to put in big offer sheets early in restricted free agency, as it ties up their cap space and may make them miss out on other moves, which means restricted free agents who don’t sign (or get traded) early lose all leverage, just as Duren and Mathurin have.Â
With no teams left with cap space, the Pistons are under no threat to lose Duren, who only has the nuclear option of the qualifying offer at his disposal, but that would be far riskier for him than it would be for the Pistons.Â
Duren wants his money, but the Pistons hold all the cards and don’t have to exceed whatever offer they have already put on the table, as there is no one else to beat it.Â
The Duren situation is looking a lot like the Josh Giddey saga from last summer, which spilled into the second week of September, with both sides eventually compromising on a deal.Â
The same could happen with Duren and the Pistons, as there really isn’t anything to gain by dragging this out any further. But agents have to look as though they are doing their jobs, so Duren’s isn’t going to give in until he absolutely has to, which is at the beginning of October.Â
Until then, we can expect this tedious staring match to continue and repeat every offseason, as the war of restricted free agency isn’t going away. In fact, we could see it again next offseason if the Pistons don’t get an early extension completed with Ausar Thompson, a prospect I do not relish.
Add us as a preferred source on Google