The Detroit Pistons rise to to the top of the Easterm Conference has come by way of a lot of pleasant surprises throughout the course of the regular season.
Cade Cunningham playing at an MVP-level is certainly one, but arguably the biggest surprise of them all is the emergence of big man Jalen Duren, who according to many, should be the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award.
Obviously, Duren's rise is a huge development for the Pistons' future, especially considering the long-term duo the team can build around between the star center and Cunningham.
At the same time though, while Duren's breakout offers plenty of positives, it also comes with one major negative that both the front office and the fanbase will soon have to come face to face with.
That negative just so happens to be the financial implications that Duren's eventual extension will have on the team's future plans.
Jalen Duren could put the Pistons in a situation they don't want to be in
The monster season from the 22-year-old, averaging 18.7 points and 10.6 rebounds on 63.9% from field goal range, has given the Pistons' a reliable force in the frontcourt to compete not only now, but in the future.
Still, with a payday on the horizon, Detroit will quickly learn about the finincal restrictions that the new CBA guidelines have brought to light for nearly every team in the league who's been fortunate enough to find cornerstones to build around.
With a massive extension looming in the offseason, the Pistons could be lining themselves up to ink the Memphis product to a five-year deal that could range anywhere from $185 million to $241 million.
Locking up a core piece of the team's future will certainly be a positive, but with Detroit signing up to pay out major deals to both Cunningham and Duren, the front office will be tasked with to find a way to become creative in order to build around them.
And that's where the problem comes in.
Pistons future roster construction will be heavily impacted
One offseason removed from watching the Boston Celtics self implode a championship roster by trading key pieces like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in efforts to regain financial flexibility.
Of course, Boston, who remains as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, was able to build a competitive roster still, but it came by way of Brad Stevens getting creative and signing high-upside prospects to cheap deals.
Detroit will soon be put in that situation, where general manager Trajan Langdon will have to find ways to improve his roster along the margins without putting Detroit in a position where financial restrictions become a major hindrance.