Jalen Duren's looming contract extension has garnered plenty of interest ahead of the offseason, and understandably so.
Following the regular season, it seemed all but guaranteed that the Detroit Pistons would be forced to ink the big man to the supermax extension he was eligible for this offseason. Fast forward to his disastrous postseason, that guarantee no longer seemed certain, but instead a massive question that Detroit would be forced to answer.
As a restricted free agent, Duren has the chance to negotiate with any team in the league and bring back the Pistons an offer sheet to prove he's worth the supermax deal his regular season suggested he was.
According to NBA mind Sam Vecenie, Detroit will likely match any offer for Duren this offseason unless it reaches an unexpected value.
Pistons likely will match any contract up to $40 million
Duren can use leverage from other teams to reach the value he feels he's worth on the open market.
"I think the Pistons match on Duren," Vecenie said. "Unless the number is $40 million or something, I think they're just going to bet on their guy, especially considering he has a very close relationship with Cade Cunningham, and I would imagine Cade won't want to lose him."
As underwhelming as the playoff run was for Duren, there's no way Detroit can simply overlook just how dominant a regular season the 22-year-old had.
A near 7-footer averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, shooting an efficient 65% from field goal range, doesn't come around every day, and Detroit simply can't risk losing him in free agency due to a poor postseason showing in what really was his first extended playoff run.
Detroit will make it a priority to lockdown Duren
Obviously, if Duren is willing to negotiate with other teams on the open market, teams will be interested, and Detroit will likely allow him to check out his value externally, similar to what the Phoenix Suns did with Deandre Ayton a few years ago.
Under no circumstance, though, will the Pistons let the big man go for nothing unless it's a value they simply can't talk themselves into matching, and considering opposing teams watched the same playoffs Detroit did, it's hard to believe the big man nets a $40 million contract anywhere else.
On top of that, Duren would likely prefer to stay in Detroit, considering the relationships he's already established on the roster, the fact that he's called the Motor City home for the last four years, and the reality that the Pistons are likely his best chance to get paid what he feels he's worth.
Duren not being a Piston by the star of the regular season simply just feels like an unlikely scenario at this point.
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