The Detroit Pistons should have known this Jalen Duren situation was coming. As soon as they didn't give Duren what he wanted in restricted free agency, it kind of felt like this sort of thing was inevitable. Duren has still yet to sign with the Pistons, and now, it seems like the whole issue isn't even about the money anymore.
According to a recent report from Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Pistons have upped their offer from five years, $190 million to five years, $200 million. That should be enough to get a deal done. But Duren still hasn't signed. So, what does that mean?. Well, it means that this probably isn't about the money anymore. And that's an outcome the Pistons should have seen coming.
Because if it's not about the money anymore, that means it's about Duren’s desire to stay in Detroit. And if he doesn't want to be a Pistons anymore, then the Pistons are in trouble.
Pistons should have seen Jalen Duren problems coming
At the very beginning of the offseason, as it was becoming clear that there were going to be some serious negotiations between the Pistons and Duren, there were some weird reports.
Reports surfaced that Duren might not actually want to be in Detroit anymore. That he might want to sign with a team like the Sacramento Kings. That was the first warning sign.
The first warning sign that Duren might actually leave. The first warning sign that the Pistons contract talks may not go their way. The first warning sign that contract negotiations were slowly slipping into a personal beef.
Now, we're at the very end of September, with media day just days away, and Duren is still a free agent. It's been one of the biggest storylines of the summer, and it still hasn't concluded.
Duren and the Pistons seem to be locked in a tense battle, and one of the only ways out might be for Duren to take the qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.
That, or the Pistons might have to trade during. They might have to let their 23-year-old, All-NBA, All-Star center walk. It's about as bad a situation as you could possibly imagine.
But again, after there were reports that Duren might want to leave at the very beginning of the summer, the Pistons should have known that this was a potentially likely reality.
They should have known that hardballing a 23-year-old – even if they might have been right to do so – could have caused a rift.
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