Jalen Duren’s postseason run with Detroit left a great deal to be desired. Even though he earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team, his actual on-court contributions during the playoffs fell well short of expectations.
His regular-season averages of 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 65 percent shooting plummeted to just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds, paired with a dismal 51 percent from the floor. There were moments in the Eastern Conference Semifinals where he found himself watching from the bench while third-string center Paul Reed took his minutes. It was a grind on both ends of the floor for Duren, and that leaves Detroit stuck in an awkward and difficult position.
Even with a playoff showing that wasn’t entirely inspiring, the Pistons probably would have been ready to hand Duren a max contract. But given that he struggled just to stay on the floor, his standing with the franchise now looks uncertain at best.
Duren’s camp is apparently frustrated that Detroit hasn’t put a near-max offer on the table, and he’s now seriously exploring his options elsewhere in free agency. I’m not convinced the Pistons are losing sleep over that development, and they may now be leaning toward moving him via a sign-and-trade. The Sacramento Kings are the main team linked to him, but I just don’t see any appealing assets they could offer in return.
Sacramento does have three players Detroit is rumored to have eyes on. The headliner is Domantas Sabonis, who would immediately inject some offensive life into the Pistons. Detroit could also take a shot at rehabilitating Keegan Murray, whose production has tailed off notably since a strong sophomore year. Alternatively, they could absorb Zach LaVine’s massive contract and hope he can serve as a secondary scoring option alongside Cade Cunningham.
To me, all of those paths feel like losing bets. If you can’t build on the momentum from this past season, you run the real risk of frustrating Cunningham to the point where he asks out. I’m just not sure that two aging veterans with inflated contracts, or a project player in need of fixing, are going to be what keeps Cade content.
Duren has had his share of playoff struggles in his first two appearances, but it’s worth keeping in mind that he’s only 22. Committing to a max extension carries inherent risk, but he did make an All-NBA team this year. I’d rather put my faith in him elevating his playoff performance than count on two 30-year-olds suddenly finding a second wind and playing meaningful basketball deep into their careers.
Centers who earn All-NBA honors at that age don’t come around often. Moving on from one in favor of deeply flawed alternatives just doesn’t strike me as the right move.
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