Before Jalen Duren was with the Pistons, he was actually a member of the New York Knicks (and before that, the Hornets), even if it was just for a brief moment. You can say they did Detroit a favor by sending the center its way on draft night in 2022 (when they were doing all their maneuvering to make space for Jalen Brunson). Or can you, considering how negotiations are (or aren't) going in restricted free agency? Maybe this was part of Leon Rose and Co.'s plan all along.
All jokes aside, Duren and the Pistons are at a stalemate, with the center believing he is worth more than Detroit thinks he is. His camp was underwhelmed enough with the team's initial offer in free agency to explore sign-and-trade scenarios, with the Kings emerging as a potential suitor, which says a lot.
Here we are now, three weeks later, and Duren is still on the market. While that's certainly not unusual for a restricted free agent, it's not exactly reassuring for the Pistons, either.
There aren't other teams with available cap space lining up for his services, so barring a sudden change, it will come down to him signing a new deal with Detroit or taking a risk and accepting his $9.6 million qualifying offer. And even if Duren signs a new contract, that won't mean that all is well, as things could be simmering beneath the surface.
Jalen Duren and Pistons are stuck in a standoff
Let's go back to Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors. His situation was different from Duren's, but he felt undervalued (over and over again). Even though he re-signed with Golden State on a two-year deal last offseason, it was done with the intention of getting out. At that point, the relationship was already irreparable after years of going back and forth.
Duren and the Pistons aren't there yet, but clearly, the two sides aren't seeing eye to eye.
You can think that Detroit would be better off getting rid of Duren after how he looked in the playoffs, but he's just 22. It's way too early for the Pistons to count him out, but that doesn't mean they should overpay to keep him. On the other hand, they can't really afford to be without him, looking at who else they have to play the five if he does leave.
Detroit is fresh off a season in which it was the No. 1 seed in the East, and it wants to build on that, carrying its regular season success over to the playoffs. It'd be hard to do that with a version of Duren who isn't mentally locked in the way he should be if he's not feeling valued. It'd be even harder, of course, to do it without him entirely.
That's where the Knicks come in, not because they will try to get Duren back, but because they can benefit from a fractured-beyond-repair relationship.
New York already reigns supreme in the league, but Detroit is lurking in the shadows. A dissatisfied Duren could be enough to send the Pistons a few steps back, giving the Knicks less to worry about there.
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