Josh Giddey’s path last offseason is a pretty clear reminder of why the Detroit Pistons can take their time with Jalen Duren.
The situations aren’t identical - Giddey and Duren are different players - but the pressure points are familiar. Giddey had already built a reputation as a player who could pile up regular-season production and then struggle in the playoffs. Then he landed in Chicago, put together a career year, and headed into restricted free agency in a spot that looked a lot like Duren’s this summer after the 22-year-old center made the All-Star and All-NBA teams.
That’s where the similarities really start to matter. Both players were trying to cash in.
Both wanted top-end money that wasn’t waiting for them. And in both cases, the team held the stronger hand.
Giddey eventually signed a 4-year, $100 million deal with the Bulls, but not until the second week of September. He had pushed for a max deal, but it wasn’t coming, and there weren’t any teams with cap space ready to make a real offer.
Chicago could wait because it controlled the situation, and Detroit is in the same spot with Duren. There aren’t teams with cap space lining up to force the Pistons’ hand, and a sign-and-trade doesn’t sound likely to materialize.
That’s why this could stretch out. Giddey went through the same motions Duren has this summer - the talk of leaving, the “considering” the qualifying offer, the waiting game - before finally settling for what is now seen as a pretty team-friendly contract.
The Pistons can do the same thing here. They can stay patient and let Duren come back to the table.
The bigger issue, though, is what this says about restricted free agency itself. With so little cap space available around the league, the system strips players of leverage and puts it squarely in the hands of the team.
That setup does help clubs keep their own players, but it also creates exactly these kinds of stalemates when a player wants more money and has almost no way to get it. The qualifying offer is a dangerous path, so the player often ends up with very little real control over the process.
It’s easy to see why teams lean on that advantage, especially now, when roster and payroll flexibility matter so much in the tax apron era. For the Pistons, there’s no reason to cave. This one probably drags into September, just like Giddey’s did, and Duren likely ends up signing with Detroit in the end.
In Other News...
Pistons Still Face One Offseason Problem Cade Couldnt Fix
Cade Cunningham did his part this offseason, at least behind the scenes. According to ESPNs Vince Goodwill, the Pistons guard was involved in efforts to sell Detroit to Austin Reaves and to other marquee names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard, part of a broader push to raise the rosters ceiling and accelerate the franchises rise.
Instead, Detroit is back to handling the harder, less glamorous business that comes with building a contender from within. The focus has shifted to contract talks with restricted free agent Jalen Duren and an extension for Ausar Thompson, while the front office weighs how far it wants to go on Durens next deal after concerns about his playoff performance. The recruiting pitch may have been strong, but the biggest offseason decision still sits much closer to home. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Have Fixed A Big Problem Without Forcing The Future
Detroit has spent the offseason trying to patch holes without blowing up its long-term plan, and that approach has already shown up in a few key additions. John Collins gives the frontcourt a different look, while Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris arrived via trades to add shooting, size and veteran steadiness around the roster. It is the kind of businesslike summer that suggests the Pistons are trying to solve problems one by one rather than chase a dramatic overhaul.
The bigger question now sits in the middle of all that movement, where Jalen Durens future remains unresolved as he seeks a maximum deal. Trajan Langdon has been careful about asset management and has made it clear the organization is operating with caution in trades and roster decisions, which makes the Duren situation the next test of that restraint. For a team trying to improve without forcing the future, how it handles that contract will say plenty about just how patient this new version of Detroit really is. [Read more 🡒]