Jalen Duren's replacement could get his Pistons' tryout on the biggest stage

The Jalen Duren saga is going to dominate the Detroit Pistons’ offseason as they try to find a sweet spot on his next contract. 

There is no guarantee that happens, as some rival team could put in an offer sheet that is too rich for the Pistons, who are fresh off watching their 22-year-old All-Star look pedestrian in the playoffs, so Detroit needs to have a Plan B, which could include Isaiah Hartenstein of the OKC Thunder. 

The Thunder are one game away from a return trip to the Finals after winning last night with Hartenstein putting up 12 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. Hartenstein will be one of many tough decisions the Thunder have to make this summer, and it looks as though he’ll be getting his tryout on the NBA’s biggest stage in the Finals. 

The Thunder may have to cut money 

OKC is looking at a huge jump in payroll next season, when extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jaylen Williams kick in. The Thunder will have upwards of $120 million invested in just three players, so will be staring down the barrel of the second tax apron. 

They may not care, as they could potentially be coming off back-to-back titles, but OKC could also trim their roster of veterans and still be good without the massive tax bill. 

The easiest way for them to cut money would be to decline the team options for veterans Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein and Kenrich Williams, which would help offset the raises for their young guys. 

Hartenstein has a team option for $28.5 million for next season, so OKC could either just decline it and let him walk, or pick it up and try to flip him to another team for assets.  

The Thunder would likely prefer draft compensation to avoid taking on money, so if this scenario plays out, the Pistons could be in the mix. 

Detroit’s situation with Jalen Duren is fluid 

I honestly have no idea what the Pistons will do with Duren. As a fan, I’d love to see him back and to continue to grow and progress with the team, but as a pragmatist, there is a number that is too much for a guy who just flopped when the Pistons needed him most. 

Hartenstein doesn’t have nearly the ceiling that Duren does, but he’s a proven playoff performer and likely won’t be making as much money as Duren on his next deal, which would allow the Pistons to invest elsewhere. 

Like with Hartenstein, the Pistons are unlikely to let Duren walk for nothing, so if the deal they want isn’t  likely to happen, they could sign-and-trade Duren (maybe for a scorer) and look to either trade for Hartenstein or even sign him as a free agent in the unlikely scenario OKC lets him walk. 

Duren may price himself out of the Pistons’ plans, but they have other options if that happens, including snatching a guy who is proven on the NBA’s biggest stage. 

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