The Detroit Pistons have been focused on the NBA Draft and free agency but have plenty of in-house business to take care of when it comes to potential extensions for Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
I’m in the group that thinks the Pistons should extend Ivey now, as they could potentially get him at a bargain after he missed most of the season, a bargain they are not going to get if he blows up next year and hits restricted free agency.
Jalen Duren is another tough call, as he did show improvement, and was big for the Pistons in the playoffs at times, but was it enough for them to risk big bucks to a center who still hasn’t shown much other than dunking and rebounding? Duren did flash some passing chops, especially later in the first round of the playoffs, but we’re still looking at a guy with a similar skill set to Andre Drummond.
Giving Drummond a huge contract turned out to be a mistake for the Pistons, one that they don’t want to make again, especially with the new CBA being particularly brutal to teams that sign the wrong guy.
There have been two contracts this summer that Duren and his agent will point to as market setters, and it’s not great news for the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons rumors: Jalen Duren extension isn’t getting any cheaper
Just like Ivey, I’d be happy for the Pistons to extend Duren now at the right price, but that price may be getting more expensive by the day.
Jabari Smith Jr. recently inked a 5 year/$122 million deal to stay in Houston and possibly even more surprising was the 4 year/$104 million deal Jakob Poeltl signed to extend his time in Toronto.
Pistons fans have been bandying about possible extension numbers for Duren and most of them were not this high, so we are probably in for a reality check when it comes to keeping the 21-year-old big man, who is arguably at least as valuable as these two guys, though both of them are more versatile offensively.
You could also argue that Poeltl is a better defender, so it’s possible his number will be a good one for the Pistons to measure against, and perhaps they can get Duren for a four-year extension for under $100 million.
But Duren’s agent isn’t going to see it that way and will be pushing for Duren to get at least what Smith Jr. got, a concept that should make the Pistons nervous, as committing that much money to a center who can’t shoot and isn’t an elite defender is a big risk.