We are only two weeks away from training camp and the Detroit Pistons still don't have a deal in place with Jalen Duren. When the Pistons' season ended back in May, the expectation was that the sides would come to an agreement on a new deal relatively quickly. As days became weeks became months, the Pistons never seemed worried about their All-Star center leaving.
While Duren is still unlikely to leave this season because of his status as a restricted free agent, his future with the team is far less secure than it was when the offseason began.
A big reason why is that his threat to take the qualifying offer seems more serious than previously thought.
Jalen Duren's threat may not make sense to the Pistons, but they still have to take it seriously
No one seemed to think that Duren accepting a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer was realistic. It may not be the wisest financial move, to be sure, but the Pistons can no longer consider this possibility unlikely.
Of course, most NBA players wouldn't take the risk of accepting the qualifying offer. The injury risk is simply too high, even if you have a promise from a team that they would pay you a max contract when you hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
Duren, however, may not be operating like most NBA players. He is reportedly insisting on at least a five-year, $200 million deal, despite the Pistons going up to a five-year, $190 million contract. Would he leave guaranteed $180 million on the table for a $2 million per year difference?
That may sound like a crazy option to many, but the Pistons have to understand Duren's mentality. The 22-year-old big man is likely looking at other young players on the market who haven't accomplished nearly as much as him making over $40 million per year and wants to get paid consummate to his All-NBA bona fides.
Just because it is a risky proposition doesn't mean that the Pistons can afford to let Duren accept his qualifying offer. The star center has demonstrated his willingness to make things uncomfortable with the team by not showing up to Cade Cunningham's training camp or owner Tom Gores' Labor Day party.
If Duren accepts his qualifying offer, that is essentially a death knell for the relationship between him and the Pistons. Getting the most out of him this season and retaining him at the end of the season would be very difficult.
Instead, if the Pistons aren't willing to pay Duren what he is asking for, they should consider signing and trading him. It's not an ideal situation, and it's not where the Pistons thought they would be in September, but they may not have a choice. Extending this stalemate with the hopes that Duren comes to his senses is a strategy that may come back to bite the Pistons.
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