After months and months of negotiations, Jalen Duren finally got what he wanted: a $200 million contract from the Pistons. On Thursday night, he made it official by signing a 5-year extension worth that amount. But with that huge contract will come huge expectations; Duren must now help the Pistons in their championship pursuit to live up to his contract.
Not only will the Pistons themselves and Detroit's fanbase have higher expectations for Duren, but so will opposing teams. Now that Duren has gotten paid like a top player, other centers will be eager to prove themselves against him and coaches will also have him near the top of their scouting reports. Duren will get everyone's best every night and the Pistons better hope he's not the type to crumble under that pressure.
Duren's bet paid off, and now he has to live up to it
The last thing the Pistons want is for Duren to become a bad contract by underperforming after getting his big deal. Unfortunately, that fear has already been founded by his playoff showing in May. Duren's dropoff from the regular season to the postseason was historic in the worst way.
Next season will be more of the same for Duren when it comes to pressure from other teams. Everyone saw his weaknesses exposed in the playoffs, so they will continue pushing the same buttons until he proves he can handle the pressure. Even with better-fitting pieces around him, Duren still won't have an easy time adapting, especially with the added target of his $200 million deal.
Hopefully Duren was adding more to his game this offseason while his agent negotiated fiercely on his behalf. He's got a lot of ways to address his holes from last season, including a better handle, passing or a midrange jumper. Any of the three could make a big difference, especially if his teammates have also developed offensively.
Everyone will be thirsty to get at Duren
Plenty of young players and first-time All-Stars get paid big extensions every summer. But very few hold out as long as Duren before eventually "giving in" to the tune of $200 million. Naturally, that will make him a target for veterans that think they're better (but paid less) than him, or other youngsters looking to make as much as him.
Last season, Duren got to beat up on bad or unmotivated centers in some games, especially as the Pistons defense wore teams down. But his offseason saga will add fuel to his direct matchups for this season. With the East looking stronger (and more loaded at the center position) than ever before, Duren will have his work cut out for him every single game. Whenever he touches the court, Duren will need to prove he was worth every penny.
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