The Detroit Pistons are still at a crossroads with Jalen Duren. He believes he's worth more than what the team has offered, which could lead him to accept his $9.6 million qualifying offer. That's not the outcome anyone wants to see, but even if the two sides agree on a new contract, the team may not be out of the woods.
As ESPN's Vincent Goodwill said on the "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast, things might be even messier than you thought between Duren and the Pistons:
"I'm not trying to give away too much here, but I think when you have negotiations like this, there's certain things that a player should not have to hear. You know what I mean? There's certain things that a player does not have to hear when the messaging comes back about why you're not getting what you believe to be your value. Those are perhaps conversations that are going to have to be had to clear the air whenever he signs his deal."
The fact that things have dragged on this long (and could extend closer to the start of the season) already wasn't a good sign for Duren's relationship with Detroit. Based on what Goodwill said, that seems even more likely, given whatever it is the center has supposedly heard about why Detroit hasn't paid him what he wants.
Things could get messier between Duren and Pistons
It's not easy to learn that the team that you've been with for the past four seasons, since draft night, doesn't value you the way that you think they should. Duren didn't need to hear anything about what's been said to know that much was clear; otherwise, he would've signed a new deal by now. It certainly doesn't help that he's reportedly hearing things he shouldn't be.
The Pistons already would've had to work to repair at least part of their relationship with Duren, given how things have played out (more like how they haven't), and it sounds like they'll really have to focus on that. A new deal won't erase how the offseason went down.
Detroit will want Duren to be fully on board if he re-signs, the outcome the Pistons are hoping for, and that may not be the case. If there's lingering tension, it could affect his on-court performance or the team's overall mood off the court, like in the locker room and at practice. It could serve as a distraction they don't need, but one they helped create.
Now, Detroit is right not to give Duren the $40 million average annual salary he is seeking, but that doesn't mean he needs to hear whatever messaging they've sent him about why they haven't. If he re-signs, it could take more than one conversation to clear the air and mend fences. Some feelings don't go away so easily.
Hopefully, this won't play out the way it seems, with the Pistons heading toward a bigger Duren problem, whether that's him signing his qualifying offer or resenting the organization for how things went down.
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