It has been just over two weeks since the free agency window opened, and after a period of extreme activity, the frenzy seems to have died down. Needless to say, several players remain up for grabs on the market. Among these, Jalen Duren remains a particularly intriguing name.
Earlier in the offseason, Jalen Duren commanded significant interest for his talents. Unfortunately, due to his restricted free agency status, it was challenging for other teams to pursue him without facing obstacles, namely the Detroit Pistons.
Although most reports indicated that talks between the Pistons and Duren had stalled following a lowball extension offer, Detroit was committed to retaining the All-NBA big man. Thus, when addressing Duren’s current standing with the Pistons’ front office, NBA insider Jake Fischer offered a very promising update.
“There’s been momentum and positive direction between Duren and the Pistons. And ever since that Caris LeVert trade for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, that opened up the cap space for Detroit to give Jalen Duren his 25% max contract that he is looking for,” Fischer reported.
“I do think they’re getting close. That’s my latest understanding of that situation. I don’t know exactly how close or when to expect it, but definitely closer than when they were before that trade. And I think that trade was indicative of some positive movement between Detroit and Jalen Duren.”
There has been a general sentiment of concern about the contract discussions between the Pistons and Jalen Duren.
It was understood that both sides did not see eye to eye, as Duren’s demand for a contract worth $40 million annually seemed excessive in light of his postseason failures. Although this effectively led Duren to pursue other opportunities, the Pistons made sure to hold off potential suitors in sign-and-trade talks.
More recently, NBA insider Chris Haynes suggested that since the Pistons were neither willing to meet his demands nor let him leave the team, Duren could accept the $9.6 million qualifying offer, effectively showcasing his frustrations with the franchise. However, since this wouldn’t benefit either party, Fischer’s update seems much more promising.
As things stand, the Detroit Pistons have cleared out a considerable amount of cap space after trading Caris LeVert to the Milwaukee Bucks. By offloading LeVert’s $14.8 million contract for a total of $7.6 million in return (Taurean Prince and Gary Harris), Detroit reduced its total payroll to $136.2 million.
At $28.8 million below the salary cap, the Pistons already boast tremendous flexibility. However, when noting that they are roughly $72.8 million below the first apron, Detroit has more than enough cap space to offer Duren a new contract.
While doubts may be raised about Jalen Duren’s reliability based on his playoff performances, it is difficult to undermine how effective he was in the regular season. With averages of 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game, Duren was among the best big men in the league. Given how effective he has been when paired with Cade Cunningham, Detroit’s inclination to retain Duren seems justified.
Detroit’s ample cap space also comes in handy when factoring in the rumors about Ausar Thompson’s potential contract extension. While it could be argued that the Pistons may see more value in pulling the trigger on a meaningful trade to acquire offensive support for Cunningham, it seems the Pistons are done making new additions. Hence, a new contract for Thompson may be in the works, too.
