When Tari Eason eventually signed an $81.5 million deal with the Houston Rockets, his 3-word reaction was not what you’d expect from someone who just banked a lifetime of riches in their 20’s. He said, “I guess, bruh.”
Eason’s tempered reaction was because he had a bigger deal on the table the summer before when Houston offered him $100 million over five years. Not all of that money was guaranteed, but Eason still left nearly $20 million on the table.
He’s rich anyway, so who cares, but $20 million is still a lot of money. Eason bet on himself and that there might be a bigger market for him than existed in reality. In the end, it backfired and he lost a wad of money, though his current contract is fully guaranteed.
The Jalen Duren situation isn’t exactly the same, but there are some similarities, including the person negotiating the deal.
Jalen Duren and Tari Eason have the same agent
If you are wondering why these negotiations seem familiar, it’s because they were both orchestrated by the same person, as Duren and Eason have the same agent.
I don’t think there is any arguing that either situation was handled well, as in both cases, the player’s market was grossly overestimated.
Duren’s situation differs in that he’s an All-NBA player who is still only 22-years-old, but the result could be the same if he follows Eason’s path and bets on himself.
In Duren’s case, that would mean taking the qualifying offer and playing out the season before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
It’s far riskier in Duren’s case, as the deal Eason turned down was an early extension, not his restricted free agency.
I’ve said this a million times at this point, but even if Duren were to take the QO, have an unbelievable season and some team wanted to pay him a max deal next summer, he still wouldn’t make as much as the Pistons are offering right now.
There is also a big risk, that like Eason, Duren might have a season that makes the Pistons and the rest of the league reconsider his value even more.
He may dream about a future when the Kings or some other team gives him the max deal he so desires, but it won’t make him any extra money, so he’d just be taking a massive risk for no financial gain, but plenty to lose.
If Duren called Eason for advice right now, he’d probably tell Jalen to take the money, as you never know what the future holds and the difference between what the Pistons are offering and what Duren wants is not that significant.
If Duren wants to bet on himself, he can, but don’t be surprised if he gets even less money next offseason, just ask Eason.
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