As NBA free agency enters its second month, the Detroit Pistons are still far apart in negotiations with star Jalen Duren. Duren is still hoping to sign a 5-year max contract worth $287 million, but the Pistons are determined to offer him far less.
Obviously, the two sides are far apart, and it makes sense for Duren to do the unthinkable. He might consider accepting the qualifying offer of $9.6 million.
That would essentially give him a one-year contract and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent after next season. Should that happen, the Pistons would lose their second-best player for nothing.
Jalen Duren may take the qualifying offer to spite the Pistons
Restricted free agency can be brutal, especially if you don't have much leverage. After having a horrible playoff run, Duren entered the summer with little leverage in contract negotiations. As a result, the Pistons are trying to play hardball to get him back on an affordable contract.
That's well within their right, but he is also well within his right to take the qualifying offer. Were he to do so, he would be the first major player to have taken the qualifying offer and could be a test case.
If he takes the qualifying offer and balls out next season, then he could sign a lucrative contract with a team he chooses. If he doesn't, then he could be leaving money on the table.
The Pistons can't afford to let Duren take the qualifying offer
For Detroit's part, they can't afford to let it get to that point. Playing hard ball is one thing, but if they alienate him, he may take the qualifying offer just to spite them.
In that case, it would be much harder to trade him next season with him becoming a free agent next summer. He'd have motivation to play well on a 1-year deal, but it would certainly be awkward to have a player back after contact negotiations have dragged on for more than a month.
I still think there is a middle ground in which he takes a 3-year deal for around $120 million, with the third being a player option. That way, Duren can get the bag now and be able to hit free agency again when he's 24.
For Detroit, they would be able to retain him for another couple of seasons and see if he is worth keeping around. Worst-case scenario, they would be able to trade him while under that contract, but both sides will have to agree to that deal, and they seem too far apart for that to happen at the moment.
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