The Jalen Duren saga is finally over. After months of drama and rumors swirling, Duren accepted a five-year, $300 million offer from the Detroit Pistons. However, reports have indicated that the Pistons included a verbal weight clause that was eventually removed, but the damage has seemingly already been done. And even though Duren has already signed a new deal, there could still be problems.
At one point in the negotiation process, there was reportedly only a $10 million gap between Duren and the Pistons. Over five years. That’s around $2 million a season. Obviously, that’s a ton of money, but in NBA talk, it’s just not that much. So, it feels clear that this was about more than the money.
Because of that, Duren finally accepting the Pistons’ offer doesn’t necessarily mean everything is cool between the two sides now. In fact, Duren probably still isn’t thrilled.
Jalen Duren drama could still linger
All summer, Duren had to deal with a ton of talk. What team will Duren join? How much is Duren actually worth? Should he take the qualifying offer? Should the Pistons just trade him at this point?
By the time it came time to accept a contract offer from the Pistons, Duren probably just...