After the Pistons finally got Jalen Duren to sign an extension, at a price point they didn't initially want to offer, we need to reflect on how Detroit could have handled the situation better. A similar restricted free agency might have played out with Walker Kessler and the Jazz, but Utah treated the situation very differently by listening to trade offers on him.
This strategy could have helped Detroit put pressure on Duren earlier in the offseason and even weigh their options when it came to potential replacements. Faced with a more immediate threat of playing for an awful team or seeing his market value dwindle, Duren could have signed earlier. Instead, the Pistons kept bargaining with him and raising their offer, so he was motivated to hold out until the very end.
The Pistons didn't handle Duren's situation well
By letting Duren's extension talks drag out so long, the Pistons lost a lot of flexibility this offseason to make big moves. With Duren's exact dollar amount still in limbo, Detroit couldn't be as certain when reaching for a big trade target. Instead, the Pistons had to settle for marginal upgrades across the roster, which will hopefully have an outsized impact.
Not only did the Pistons lose out on offseason time to make upgrades, but they also ended up giving Duren the money he wanted anyways. His 5-year/$200 million extension is a huge commitment, even with the league's rising salary cap. The Pistons will be in for a rough few years if he doesn't live up to his contract - which has been very hard for most traditional centers to justify.
On the other hand, the Jazz got back 2 unprotected future first-round picks and 2 pick swaps for Kessler. Considering that Kessler is a less proven player than Duren, you have to hope the Pistons could have gotten an even more substantial offer for their young center. Those picks and swaps might not make Detroit better immediately, but they could have been flipped for other players that fit better next to Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.
The Jazz are in a completely different situation
To be fair, the Jazz are in a completely different stage of team-building than the Pistons. Whereas Detroit is coming off a 60-win season and looking to make a deep playoff run, Utah will be happy just to be in the playoff picture this season. In fact, the Jazz haven't cracked 40 wins since 2022.
As a result, the Jazz were much more comfortable trading away Kessler for future assets, even if losing him meant an immediate downgrade. They would rather bank on the potential of those picks later on, or use them as trade pieces when the time is right. The Pistons didn't have the same luxury since they are already in their contending window. But Detroit could have still seen benefits this offseason from taking a more open approach to Duren sign-and-trade options.
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