A Tense Summer Ends in a Massive Deal
The Detroit Pistons have secured Jalen Duren with a five year, $200 million contract. The negotiations lasted for months and were described as direct and sometimes harsh. At one point, Duren was frustrated to hear he was considered the team's fourth best player during talks.
The young center had a difficult postseason, which lowered his standing in the organization. Duren averaged 19.5 points per game in the regular season but dropped to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over 14 playoff games. This drop of 9.3 points per game is the third largest scoring decrease from a regular season to a postseason in NBA history for an All-Star. During the playoffs, Duren was outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. of the Orlando Magic, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When Duren heard his playoff performance hurt his standing, he explored his market value. He met with the Sacramento Kings, while the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Washington Wizards also showed interest. However, Detroit was unwilling to do a sign and trade deal.
Looking Ahead and Working Hard
Despite the tough negotiations, the 22 year old center is ready to move forward. "Looking in the mirror, I do need to get better," Duren said on Sunday. He added that he is willing to turn his frustration and anger into bettering his craft.
The regular season showed what Duren can do. He kept the Pistons atop the East when Cade Cunningham was out with a collapsed lung. He also became only the third player in franchise history to make an All-NBA team at his age or younger, joining Isiah Thomas and Andre Drummond.
The Pistons looked at other options this offseason. They asked about trading for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, and they wanted to offer Austin Reaves a big contract. None of those moves happened. Instead, they are sticking with their young core, also signing Ausar Thompson to a $155 million deal. Duren and Cunningham will need to work together to help the Pistons compete in a tough Eastern Conference.
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