Amen Thompson’s new deal in Houston could end up doing Detroit a favor.
The Rockets locked up Thompson this summer on a five-year, $208 million extension, a huge number even if it stopped short of the absolute maximum he might have landed. For the Pistons, that contract may quietly help shape the conversation around Jalen Duren, who remains unsigned and is still waiting on a new deal as a restricted free agent.
There’s obvious tension in the comparison. Thompson has earned more trust in the postseason, and while he and Duren don’t even play the same position, the gap in overall impact seems pretty clear right now. Thompson has been the more dependable player, and probably the more influential one too.
Still, Duren matters a lot in Detroit. He’s the All-Star.
He’s the All-NBA player. And given where the Pistons are, they need him back.
That’s why Thompson’s extension matters. His new contract will begin after one more year on his rookie deal, and he’s set to make $35.9 million in the first season of that new pact. Houston clearly believes in the role Thompson can play, and that kind of money gives teams around the league another benchmark for complementary stars.
The on-court usage backs up the investment. Ime Udoka has consistently put Thompson in the middle of the action, and in the postseason he was playing 44.0 minutes per game.
Duren’s path was much bumpier. In this year’s postseason, he had trouble staying on the floor, and JB Bickerstaff even turned to Paul Reed at times because of those struggles.
So the real question for Detroit is how far it’s willing to go. Around $40 million per season would put Duren in the neighborhood of what Thompson just got, and that’s the kind of number the Pistons may have to wrestle with if they want to keep him.
At the same time, something closer to $35 million a year feels like the sweet spot for Detroit. That’s the range for a high-level role player, and Duren’s postseason showed some real limits.
But the Pistons also can’t let him walk. With their center depth thin, they may end up pushed closer to Thompson’s $40 million average annual value than they’d prefer.
In Other News...
Jalen Duren's Pistons Standoff Just Became Impossible To Ignore
Mid-September is an uncomfortable place for a negotiation to be sitting, especially when it involves a 22-year-old who made both the All-Star and All-NBA teams last season. Jalen Duren remains without a new deal from Detroit, and the Pistons have been firm enough to believe they have already put forward a fair offer based on what they see as his current market value.
The hold-up has become notable because Duren is not just any restricted free agent lingering on the board. He is the most decorated player to still be unsigned this late, and the sides do not appear to be operating from the same place on what his resume should be worth. Detroit has plenty of reason to admire the ceiling, but enough questions around his playoff performance and the context of those honors to keep this from moving like a straightforward payday. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Need To Settle One Ausar Thompson Question Early
The Pistons are looking at Ausar Thompsons next contract with a little more urgency than usual, and for good reason. Detroit would like to get an early extension done if it can, both to reward one of its core young pieces and to avoid letting the situation drift into the kind of restricted free agency mess that can hang over a roster for months.
Thompson still has the kind of appeal that could draw attention around the league, especially with several teams expected to have cap space next summer. But that market can shrink fast, and once it does, the player loses a lot of leverage. For Detroit, the question is whether it makes sense to move now and settle the framework early, or risk letting the process stretch into a tougher negotiation later. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Are Hearing The Same Doubts Again And Cade Changes It
The Pistons did not make the kind of splashy offseason moves that tend to quiet the national skeptics, and that has put them right back in the familiar spot of having to answer questions before the season even starts. Bleacher Report was among the outlets pointing to Detroit as a team that may have taken a step back, a familiar refrain for a franchise trying to turn continuity into momentum and expectations into something more durable.
Cade Cunningham is the reason the conversation around Detroit never stays entirely pessimistic for long. The East has a wide range of plausible outcomes behind the top tier, with several rosters still carrying obvious uncertainty, and that leaves room for the Pistons to press their case as a playoff team rather than another club lumped into the crowded middle. If Detroit is going to change the tone around it, Cunningham is still the player who makes that possible. [Read more 🡒]