Jalen Duren remains unsigned up to this point of the NBA offseason, and it may have something to do with cold feet on the Detroit Pistons’ end.
“A lot” of members of the Pistons organization believe that forward Ausar Thompson is their second-best player rather than Duren, Vincent Goodwill of ESPN reported on Monday. As a result, Detroit’s negotiations with Duren have been effected, seemingly out of a desire not to overpay for him.
This comes on the heels of an interesting report emerging about Thompson’s future last week. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that Thompson is expected to receive a nine-figure extension from the Pistons (which Thompson is now officially eligible for).
Duren, an All-Star and an All-NBA selection at 22 years old, is reportedly looking for around $40 million per year. The Pistons’ most recently reported offer to Duren has been for a little bit less than that, creating an ongoing stalemate that could potentially result in Duren pulling a dramatic move instead.
Meanwhile, the NBA’s second apron era has dramatically altered the landscape for team-building. Locking yourself into three expensive long-term contracts is essentially self-sabotage unless you are already a proven championship team (such as the Oklahoma City Thunder paying over $45 million per year each to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams through 2031).
Two-time All-Star and MVP candidate Cade Cunningham, 24, is already the undisputed No. 1 in Detroit. While Thompson, 23, still has to get his offense to catch up to his absolutely elite perimeter defense, many on the Pistons apparently believe that he is the one who should be getting second billing status instead of Duren.
