Jalen Duren didn't get the full $287 million he was eligible for over five years, but $200 million is still a lot. Now that he's making an average annual salary of $40 million after holding out for most of the offseason, the pressure will be on him to perform for the Detroit Pistons right away.
Vince Goodwill talked about the position the center is in now on the latest episode of the "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast, as he said:
"You used to say the fun max was the max after that first rookie deal. There's no such thing as a fun max anymore. If Jalen Duren comes back at $40 plus million dollars, he's going to have to perform up to beyond that line, he's going to have to perform like an All-NBA player."
Duren made All-NBA this past season, making him eligible for a max contract starting at 30% of the cap. He got an assist from the 65-game mark, though, with players like Anthony Edwards coming up short of that controversial requirement. Still, the center got the nod, and he deserved the recognition, just not in the form of getting every penny the Pistons could've given him.
Jalen Duren has a different weight on his shoulders
After Duren and Detroit didn't agree to an extension last season, making him a restricted free agent, he increased his value, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, shooting 65% from the field. He was playing under pressure to set himself up for his next contract, but now that he has it, the pressure is even greater.
The back-and-forth between his camp and the Pistons throughout the summer didn't help his case, though Duren noted after signing his new contract that he said nothing publicly and wanted to stay in Detroit. It seemed like if he didn't get the max, he'd take the qualifying offer, setting himself up to leave next summer.
In the end, he was right to take the fully guaranteed $200 million rather than risk playing out the season on less than $10 million, all to potentially sign a max next offseason that would still be less than what the Pistons offered.
Now that he has his money, scrutiny will only ramp up as soon as he steps on the court for the first time in the preseason, which could be tonight in Minnesota.
Pistons need Jalen Duren to reach a new level
Duren is coming off a breakout season, in which he became an offensive weapon for the Pistons, finishing with nearly eight more points per game than he did the year before on 4.5 more field-goal attempts. He also got to the free-throw line more, averaging three more shots per game.
Detroit will need a different level of aggression from Duren this season. He seems on track to start, as we've heard he's more explosive. We've also heard that he's improved his touch at the rim, which is nice, but expanding his range beyond that would help open up the Pistons' offense. No, that doesn't mean he will start knocking down threes; adding a midrange jumper would suffice.
What Duren does over the next 82 games will matter, but he can truly live up to his contract in the playoffs, where he fell flat. He'll have to hit the ground running as soon as the season starts and build momentum that extends into the postseason.
It'd be unreasonable to expect him not to have off nights, though he will be judged harshly for them. But it's not unreasonable to expect him to prove he's a $200 million player, since that's what the Pistons are paying him. The pressure is on, and Duren has to be ready.
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