The Detroit Pistons have been stuck in limbo with restricted free agent Jalen Duren, with the 22-year-old believing he is worth more than the team has offered. As Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported on Thursday, there hasn't been "much progress" made (subscription required), but the two sides are trying to get on the same page.
But a league source, granted anonymity to discuss negotiations still in progress, told The Athletic that signing Duren is Detroit’s No. 1 offseason priority and the team is confident it’ll come to an agreement with Duren. Both sides want to get a deal done that makes sense for everyone involved, the source said.
The longer that this thing has dragged out, the more Pistons fans have worried that Duren would be on his way out. Or that he would accept the $9.6 million qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.
It didn't help that Chris Haynes recently said that if Duren accepted the qualifying offer, it'd mean he wanted out. Some interpreted that as the center was actively trying to get out, which isn't the case, as Patterson wrote that both sides want to get a deal done.
Pistons and Jalen Duren want to get a deal done
Detroit has no real reason to offer Duren the max contract that he was seeking, which is why the Sacramento rumors started. He wanted to get paid. He still will, just not in a deal that is at the max level, as the Pistons seem to prefer to stay in the $35 million range. That is a deal that would make sense for both sides, but the center needs to come to that realization.
It helps that Duren isn't attempting to force his way out, which would be hard to do as a restricted free agent, especially the later we get into the summer. Detroit has the leverage, and it will continue to sway further in their direction, but that doesn't mean the Pistons want to lowball him. His happiness matters. They don't want any lingering feelings to carry over into next season.
Both sides can still come out of this on the winning end. It's taken longer than fans would've liked, so the concerns are valid, but this is, unfortunately, how things can work out in restricted free agency. It can be painfully slow, but no need to fret.
Patterson wrote that "all signs" point toward Detroit and Duren agreeing to a new deal. It's just a matter of when that will be and what his new contract will look like.
Add us as a preferred source on Google