To say Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons have a complicated offseason wouldn't tell half of the story. For a while, it legitimately looked like the big man would bet on himself, take the qualifying offer, and leave in free agency after the season.
Ultimately, the dust settled, and the Pistons signed him to a five-year, $200 million deal. It was far below the max he could've gotten but, in all honesty, significantly more than he earned with his playoff performances.
However, as rough as things got between him and the organization, the fans had nothing but love for him in the season opener. When asked about that, Duren made it loud and clear that it was never about them or the city.
Jalen Duren wanted to stay with the Detroit Pistons
"I know the true fans know how much I love 'em and know how much I care about this city," Duren said (h/t 97.1 The Ticket). "I was excited to be back in this jersey and put on for the fans."
Winning cures everything, and playing well will make it all okay. Even the fans who may not feel that great about him anymore will clap whenever he drops 22 points in a big comeback win against a championship contender.
This was never personal. It wasn't a case of Duren wanting to leave to play for another team or of him not liking the market; it was just a young player and his camp trying to maximize his value after a breakout season.
Granted, Duren should've also taken a hard look in the mirror after such dismal playoff performances and acknowledged that his actions had consequences. He's getting paid generational wealth to deliver when it mattered the most, and that's exactly when he played his worst basketball.
If anything, the Pistons are also in the spotlight after this move. They may have gotten him at a slight discount, but what if he drops the ball in the postseason again? Committing $200 million to a playoff choker is the type of move that could severely handicap this promising project.
To get this done, both parties had concessions to make and risks to take, and let's not act like $40 million a year isn't a ton of money. The Pistons did right by their star big man, and Duren should have a chip on his shoulder to prove why he deserved even more than that.
At the end of the day, the fans will only care about how much money a player is making when he doesn't perform up to that standard. So, if he continues to play as he did in the season opener, things should be just fine.
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