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While NBA teams prepare to kick off their training camps in a few days, one team with unfinished business is the Detroit Pistons, as their contract standoff with starting center Jalen Duren continues. The current development is such a shame, considering the Pistons were the most surprising team last season, finishing atop the Eastern Conference after the regular season.
As it is, Duren, an All-Star and a member of the All-NBA Third Team, remains a free agent after refusing to sign the five-year, $190-million contract the Pistons have reportedly offered him. The 6’10” center, who played a key role in the Pistons’ 60-22 campaign last season with his averages of 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game, is targeting a deal that is north of $200 million.
According to Iman Shumpert, a former NBA champion turned media personality, Duren must resolve his contract impasse and start the season with a clean slate rather than deal with a lot of uncertainty.
Duren feels he’s worth more than $190M
Picked 13th by the Pistons in the 2022 NBA Draft, Duren has been one of the franchise’s success stories. After beginning his career as a reserve, Jalen has blossomed into an All-Star, working well with ace point guard Cade Cunningham to form the foundation of a Pistons squad that is poised to contend for Eastern Conference supremacy now and in the coming years.
However, the Pistons’ future is in doubt, with Duren standing firm in his belief that he’s worth the money he’s demanding.
“Jalen Duren is not just talking out his a-s. He’s still First-Team All-NBA. He’s still an All-Star,” Shumpert
“I get it because he’s like, ‘I’m on the All-NBA team.’ I get it where it’s like you’re now qualified to get signed for that, and he’s saying, ‘If I’m your number two, I should get that,’ which I totally understand. I just think that the wrinkle that happened in the playoffs is definitely going to ruin a little bit of that.”
As dominant as Duren was during the regular season, he was a shell of himself in the postseason, averaging just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. His performance dipped so badly that there were times his team opted to run with reserve Paul Reed instead of him.
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Risky business
Duren can remain a Piston if he decides to sign the the $9.6 million qualifying offer before October 1. In that scenario, he would play out this season and become an unrestricted free agent next season with the freedom to sign with the highest bidder.
However, Shump cautioned the young big man against giving up so much money and shunning a long-term contract.
“If I was Jalen Duren, I would sign it and go with a clear head into the season. I wouldn’t want that monkey on my back, getting $9 million as a qualifying offer and then having to play knowing that the team that could pay you doesn’t think you’re worth that,” Shump asserted.
“And now you’ve played a year, they haven’t given it to you. Does the rest of the league even see you as a 190 player?” he declared. “They all sit on their hands, wait, and then get you for $8 mil.”
Betting on oneself is a risky ploy. On one hand, if a player plays well and emerges from the season unscathed, he can command any price he wants. However, there are far too many variables involved to walk away from the security a long-term contract provides.
Related: “Don’t miss out on $190M trying to chase that $10M” – Brendan Haywood warns Jalen Duren not to mess up his contract extension
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