The Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren have yet to come to an agreement on a new contract. He remains the biggest unsigned name on the market. With only one month left before the teams reconvene for training camp, the stalemate between the sides has some Pistons fans concerned.
Since there is no cap space remaining around the league and there are no clear suitors for Duren, the consensus is that the All-Star center will be back in Detroit. The expectation is that both sides will come to their senses and find a middle ground that makes sense.
Every day the stalemate doesn't end, however, increases the chance that this is not the case. There is still a small chance that Duren accepts his qualifying offer and plays on a one-year, $9.6 million deal. Or, negotiations could get so toxic that the Pistons have no choice but to engage in sign-and-trade discussions for their 22-year-old big man.
The latest reporting by NBC Sports' Kurt Helin explains why the negotiations have turned ugly. Similar to the previous reporting by ESPN that called the talks "nasty", Helin used the word "noxious" to describe the state of affairs between Duren and the Pistons. In his reporting, he also revealed that the Pistons "are offering something in the lower $30 million-a-year range".
Detroit's offer to Jalen Duren is bordering on disrespectful
As he points out in his article, Duren would have every right to push back and ask for more. If the Pistons can't even get to $35 million per year, of course these talks aren't going to go anywhere. Duren, who made an All-NBA team in his age-22 season, will understandably feel disrespected.
Just look at some centers who make over $30 million in average annual salary: Jarrett Allen, Walker Kessler, Rudy Gobert, and Alperen Sengun. Chet Holmgren, who just made his first All-NBA team like Duren, is on a max contract paying him over $47 million per year. How many of these players can you realistically say are better or will be better than Duren over the duration of these deals?
Sure, Duren disappointed in the playoffs. Would it have been better if he had been injured for most of the season like Kessler? Or if he hadn't played at an All-NBA level in the regular season? Maybe then he wouldn't be getting squeezed out because of his disappointing playoff struggles.
There is a fine line between playing hardball and telling your star player that you don't value them. It's important that the Pistons don't cross that line with Duren. Understanding leverage in negotiations is key, but it can't result in disrespecting your own players by offering them significantly below their market value.
At the end of the day, there is a human element here, and the Pistons need Duren for them to have any shot at title contention next season. Unless they improve their offer, it's difficult to see how this ends in their favor.
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