The Detroit Pistons reportedly caved to Jalen Duren’s demands and offered him the $200 million contract he’s been seeking, but that wasn’t enough, as Duren still turned it down.
The Pistons have no other choice at this point but to trade him.
When I first saw the Shams Charania report floating around, all I noticed was “Duren” and “200 million” so naturally assumed that the Pistons had increased their offer again and Duren had finally signed.
Instead, I find out that the Pistons gave in, and it still wasn’t enough, which means it’s time for Jalen Duren to go.
I’ve been patient with this stuff, and have sided with Duren through most of it, but the last two weeks have shown that this is about more than just money, and that Duren really doesn’t want to be in Detroit.
The Pistons don’t have long to respond with less than a week to go before training camp, but at this point, Duren has burned bridges that can’t be repaired.
The Pistons shouldn’t go any higher for Jalen Duren
I was in the camp that thought the offer of $190 was slightly too much, but a number the Pistons could live with for Duren.
Getting into the 200 range is where Detroit should draw the line, especially if there is another team out there desperate to land Duren at that price.
We know the Kings are there, if necessary, though they seem to be reluctant to give up anything more than the recently injured Domantas Sabonis. The Milwaukee Bucks may be a more palatable option, as they have a center in Myles Turner they’ve been trying to get rid of.
Add another player or two and a pick, and we may be in business. There are reportedly at least two other teams interested in Duren, so even this late in the offseason, the Pistons should be able to scrounge together some kind of deal.
And they have to, as Duren has burned all bridges in Detroit.
Jalen Duren has turned into enemy number one
Even if Duren signed at this point, I am not sure his relationship with the fans can be repaired barring a prime Shaq-like turn in his game.
This is a guy who choked in the playoffs, and the fans forgave him. When he asked for more money, fans stuck with him. When he asked for even more money, fans started to waiver and ask questions about his real value. But now that he has reportedly turned down $40 million a year, which was supposed to be the magic number, fans have fully turned.
I’ve watched it happen in real time, with the comments on social media getting angrier with each report.
I wrote yesterday that Duren has put a huge negative spotlight on himself, but it’s probably gone beyond that at this point. He’s going to get booed in Detroit, which is not a sentence I thought I’d write even after his poor performance in the playoffs.
It’s still possible a deal gets worked out, but it will take more than that to mend relationships with the fans who now see him as a delusional prima donna.
The Pistons are in a terrible spot now, as they have little time to deal him and then try to get new players in before training camp. I am not putting this all on Trajan Langdon, but it’s hard to see this as anything other than a disaster of an offseason if they have to trade Duren in late September.
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