The Pistons have spent the offseason holding firm on Jalen Duren, and Denver’s latest mess only makes that stance look smarter.
The Nuggets are now over the second apron, which leaves them as both the league’s priciest roster and one of its most restricted. That comes after a season that ended without even getting out of the first round. It is exactly the kind of trap Detroit wants no part of if Duren keeps pushing for a deal the Pistons are not eager to hand out.
Denver’s situation is a cautionary tale, even with the important caveat that the Nuggets already cashed in on a championship in 2023. Their top-paid player, Nikola Jokic, performed like the best player in the world during that run, and Jamal Murray, their second-highest paid player, looked every bit like an All-NBA-level talent.
Detroit does not have that same certainty. Cade Cunningham has not reached Jokic’s level, and there is no guarantee Duren would deliver in the postseason the way Murray did.
That is the danger for the Pistons. If they meet Duren’s demands, they could wind up locked into a major contract for a player who has not yet proven he can carry that kind of weight in the playoffs, while also limiting their ability to add more help around him. The Nuggets have needed expensive supporting pieces such as Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. to stay in the title mix, and Detroit would likely need a similar kind of roster build if it ever wants to chase championships seriously.
The Pistons have already shown they understand the value of squeezing production out of cheaper spots on the roster. Their decision to go with Paul Reed over Isaiah Stewart as the backup center is part of that approach. Reed has given them strong value and has outperformed his deal, including in the playoffs, and that kind of edge matters when a team is trying to keep its books clean enough to improve elsewhere.
That flexibility disappears fast if Detroit caves on Duren.
The second apron brings real pain. Teams lose access to the full Mid-Level Exception, can’t combine salaries in trades, and can’t even take back any players in a sign-and-trade. That is why so many teams treat the second apron like a line not to cross, and why maxing out a player like Duren has become such a hard sell.
It is not just the Pistons drawing that line. Other teams with cap space this offseason have also been reluctant to give Duren what he wants.
His playoff résumé still has not done enough to justify a max contract, and the new CBA makes that kind of gamble even tougher. Denver’s tax bill, which could climb to $238 million, is the kind of number that sends a message around the league.
The reality for Duren is simple: the modern CBA makes a max deal unlikely anywhere. The better path is to work with Detroit and land on a number that rewards his All-Star season without boxing the Pistons into a corner. If he wants long-term security and a chance to stay on a winning track, that is the route that makes the most sense.
In Other News...
These Pistons Breakouts Could Change Everything About Detroits Quiet Offseason
Detroits quiet offseason has left the spotlight on internal growth, and that makes the next step for a few young Pistons especially important. Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II, Paul Reed, Daniss Jenkins, and rookie Ebuka Okorie all sit in different places on the roster, but each has a path to matter if the development curve bends the right way. For a team trying to sharpen its depth without making a splashy move, those kinds of gains can end up being the difference between a stable rotation and another year of searching for answers.
Thompsons offensive growth is the most intriguing swing piece, while Hollands shooting will go a long way toward determining whether he can be trusted when the games tighten up. Reed also has a real opening to claim more minutes behind the frontcourt, and Jenkins is in position to handle the backup point guard job if he takes the next step. Even Isaiah Joe fits into that larger picture as a possible early bench piece with a wider role if the roster shifts again, which is why so much of Detroits next phase may come down to players who are already in the building. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Fans Have Every Right To Question This Offseason
Detroit spent the opening stretch of free agency trying to make life easier for Cade Cunningham, adding Isaiah Joe, John Collins, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris with an obvious eye toward improving the perimeter shooting around him. On paper, those are sensible additions for a team that has been searching for spacing and stability, and they do address some of the rosters most glaring needs.
Still, the larger question hanging over the offseason is whether those moves are enough to change the Pistons ceiling, especially after the criticism aimed at Trajan Langdon for not pushing harder to land a true co-star. The front office also has another important decision looming with Jalen Duren, whose contract situation could shape the franchises next steps just as the rest of the East keeps getting tougher. [Read more 🡒]
An Old Pistons Draft Wound Just Got Painfully Relevant Again
Mario Hezonja is getting another NBA look, this time with Cleveland after eight seasons in Europe with Real Madrid, and for Pistons fans it brings back one of those draft-night what-ifs that never really went away. Hezonja was the kind of wing Detroit could have used then and could still use now, a player who left the league young, rebuilt his value overseas and now gets a chance to see whether that growth translates back across the Atlantic.
The painful part in Detroit is how closely his name is tied to the 2015 draft, when the Pistons went a different direction and took Stanley Johnson instead. Hezonja has long been viewed as the sort of swingman Stan Van Gundy liked, and even if his NBA return is still just a chance, the comparison is hard to avoid for a franchise still searching for more size and shooting on the wing. [Read more 🡒]