The summer is almost over, but the stalemate between the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren isn't. The two sides are still far apart in negotiations, and some have described the talks as "nasty" and "noxious". This has understandably raised the concern levels among Pistons fans who are hoping for their team to take a step forward towards contention next season.
The hope is that both sides will come to their senses and realize that they need each other. The Pistons don't have a way to replace Duren at this point in the offseason, and there are no teams with cap space that can give Duren what he is looking for.
Despite the frustrating process, signs are still pointing towards Duren's return to Detroit. In fact, NBA insider Jake Fischer even revealed the contract it will probably take to keep the All-Star center in Detroit.
Jalen Duren is reportedly on track to land a four-year, $160 million contract
In his livestream for Bleacher Report, Fischer said that he talked to someone with "some level of knowledge on the situation" on Tuesday and revealed that Duren is still on track to get a deal around four years and $160 million.
Fischer also poured cold water on the reporting that the tensions between Duren and the Pistons have gotten so ugly that it could have long-lasting consequences. He gave examples of previous restricted free agents who eventually signed new deals with their incumbent teams after long, drawn-out processes, and things worked out just fine.
At first glance, a four-year, $160 million contract may give Pistons fans some sticker shock. The reporting so far suggests that the Pistons were willing to offer Duren something in the low-30 millions in annual average salary.
The problem is, Duren is never going to take a deal around what Walker Kessler got from the Lakers, which was a four-year, $129.5 million deal. Duren is much more accomplished and proven despite being significantly younger than Kessler.
It was always going to be above $35 million per year for Duren. It's important to remember that this is still far below what many thought that Duren would get after the regular season. The maximum deal he is eligible for is a five-year, $287 million contract. His 25% max is still a five-year, $239 million deal.
A four-year, $160 million deal is a big discount for the Pistons, even though it may not seem that way at first. Pistons fans would have been thrilled if they had signed Duren to this deal, had he suffered an injury at the end of the regular season and missed the playoffs.
There is no need to overreact to two playoff series for a 22-year-old player. Duren has improved significantly every season of his career. $40 million per year isn't an overpay for a 22-year-old who just made his first All-NBA team. Let's hope that this gets done relatively quickly so that the Pistons can start focusing on the season.
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