Just when we though that Jalen Duren was inching closer to signing an extension with the Pistons, we get reports that he wants to explore sign-and-trade options with the Kings and Lakers. This news seems devastating at first glance, but it could speak highly of the Pistons' front office in their negotiation efforts. Clearly Trajan Langdon and company are not willing to overpay Duren and compromise their future team-building after he fell well short of expectations in the playoffs.
The Pistons shouldn't succumb to Duren's demands
Of course, Duren wants to maximize the value of his next contract. He was reportedly turned away by the Pistons last summer when he sought a contract extension averaging around $30 million per season. When Detroit wasn't willing to give him that sort of money, Duren came out with a monstrous regular season that proved him more than worthy of that dollar amount.
And then the playoffs happened and everything changed. Duren fell from nearly 20 points per game to barely 10 in the postseason. As teams scouted him more heavily to take away his usual advantages, Duren lacked the counters to adapt his game effectively. The Pistons as a whole also lacked the respectable shooting to make Duren's life easier on offense.
But ultimately the blame falls largely on Duren, as he also showed less effort and physicality throughout the playoffs. Appropriately, his market value for his next contract was hurt, whether it came from the Pistons or another team. Despite recording his first All-NBA and All-Star selections, Duren has had a hard time finding a team willing to offer him a max contract.
With the Pistons hopefully entering an age of championship contention, they will need to see some respectable playoff production before handing out a max offer to any player. Even potential new stars brought in from other teams should have a strong history of playoff performances. Detroit is correct to assume that it can't take on the risk of giving out big money to Duren without any confirmation that he can step up in the playoffs.
The Pistons are making a worthy gamble
Although Duren is planning to meet with both the Kings and Lakers, the Pistons are likely holding on to the hope that he has no real interest in leaving Detroit. After all, Duren must be aware that much of his success on both ends comes from his Pistons teammates - Cade Cunningham as his pick-and-roll partner and Ausar Thompson to clean up defensive mistakes.
Duren could easily be using other teams to gain leverage and force the Pistons into a bigger offer. But if Detroit can hold steady and force Duren to actually get a qualifying offer elsewhere, they should be able to match without sacrificing any more cap space than what's absolutely necessary.
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