Raise your hand if you are sick to death of hearing about Jalen Duren’s contract? Me too.
The Duren contract saga has dominated the Pistons’ offseason and brought it to a standstill, as the Pistons don’t want to make any more moves until they know for sure how much they will be paying Duren.
The latest “news” came from insider Marc Stein, though it was hardly news, as nothing has changed with the Pistons still holding firm and Duren still looking for more.
Both sides have really run out of options at this point, as Duren wasn’t able to find any other team to pay him what he wants, and the Pistons have so far rebuffed the idea of a sign-and-trade.
Even though the Pistons have the leverage, they don’t have many options either, as it’s a bit late in the day to be searching for a replacement for your All-NBA center.
That leaves us in a frustrating staring contest that could threaten to leak into the regular season.
Good will, Jalen Duren and the qualifying offer
Stein suggested that Duren could go the nuclear route and just accept the Pistons’ qualifying offer, which would be a disaster for the Pistons that would contaminate their season.
Duren would be losing a ton of money next year but would then gain complete control over his future with a no-trade clause and unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.
That would put the Pistons in a position where they would almost have to trade Duren to avoid losing him for nothing, and good luck getting equal value on an All-NBA player making $9 million a year.
Not to mention that the Pistons would have to do this in the middle of the season, which is not what you want to do if you’re a team with championship aspirations.
It’s doubtful that Duren takes this option, as it would be a risky one for him, but even if he doesn’t, there is a chance this carries into the season.
I sometimes think the idea of a player’s “feelings” in these negotiations gets a little overblown, as these players are pros who understand the business.
But they also have egos that do get bruised at times, so hopefully Duren won’t be carrying any ill-will for the franchise after spending the whole summer listening to them say he’s not worth a max deal.
I feel like this could motivate Duren more than anything, and he also understands the difference between the suits in the negotiating room and his teammates.
Hopefully this deal will get done soon, as I am getting tired of talking about it, and the longer it lingers, the more chance some of the stink makes its way into the season.
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