Last offseason, the Chicago Bulls went through a similar standoff with Josh Giddey as the one the Detroit Pistons are currently going through with Jalen Duren.
Giddey and Duren are very different players of course, but they faced similar criticisms in their respective careers, as Giddey was also a guy who put up big regular season numbers only to falter in the playoffs.
He was eventually shipped to Chicago, where he had a career year heading into his restricted free agency, similar to the narrative with Duren entering this offseason after the 22-year-old center made the All-Star and All-NBA teams.
Both Giddey and Duren faced the same challenge when it came to getting their money, and like the Bulls, the Pistons have no reason to give in.
Jalen Duren may not sign until September
Giddey finally gave in and signed a 4-year, $100 million deal with the Bulls, but it didn’t happen until the second week of September.
Like Duren, Giddey entered his free agency hoping for a max deal that wasn’t coming, and also like Duren, Giddey didn’t have any other options.
There weren’t any teams with cap space to make a competitive offer for Giddey, so the Bulls held all of the cards, just like the Pistons do with Duren, as there aren’t any teams with cap space, and it doesn’t seem likely a sign-and-trade is going to emerge.
Giddey went through all the same cycle Duren went through this summer, threatening to go to another team, “considering” the qualifying offer (yeah right) and holding out as long as possible before signing what is now viewed as a fairly team-friendly deal.
The Pistons can continue to be patient, and eventually Duren will have to come back to the table, hopefully to sign a fair market deal like Giddey did.
But these two show a major problem the player’s union should have addressed in the collective bargaining agreement.
Restricted free agents are screwed
With so little cap space to go around, restricted free agency takes all power away from players and hands it over to the team.
In some ways this is good, as it makes it easier for teams to retain their own guys, but it will also lead to these types of standoffs when players want more money, and there is literally no way for them to get it.
The qualifying offer is too risky, so players aren’t left with much negotiating power or control over where they play.
You can understand why teams would use the leverage they’ve been handed, as roster and payroll flexibility are key factors in the tax apron era.
The Pistons have no reason to give in, so I do expect this will drag out until September, just like Giddey’s negotiation did, and that Duren will eventually sign with the Pistons.
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