Almost a week into NBA free agency, Jalen Duren, the rising young center for the Detroit Pistons, is still available in restricted free agency, and there doesn’t seem to be a resolution in sight.
He is thought to be seeking a max deal, but interest in him from other teams has seemed tepid. The Sacramento Kings were reportedly in pursuit of him, but there has been no movement over the last several days.
The Pistons have made it clear they will match any outside offers for Duren. It reminds retired seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson of a situation he was once in.
Joe Johnson Has Been There and Done That
While on the “Nightcap” podcast with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and six-time Pro Bowler Chad Ochocinco, Johnson talked about the time he was in a similar situation.
“That’s kind of almost what happened to me when I left Phoenix, because Phoenix could match, and any team that offered me a contract, they were telling all these teams, ‘Look, whatever y’all offering, we’re gonna match it anyway,'” Johnson said.
“So then I had to get on the phone with my agent with Robert Sarver, who was the owner of the Phoenix Suns… and I had to tell him, ‘Don’t match, man.’… But that ain’t gonna happen in Detroit. I’m telling you right now, they ain’t finna let their boy go.”
Johnson was traded as a rookie by the Boston Celtics to the Suns during the 2001-02 season. He emerged as a difference-maker after a few seasons and was a major part of the Suns squad that won 62 games and reached the Western Conference finals during the 2004-05 campaign.
He left in the summer of 2005 in a trade that sent him to the Atlanta Hawks. It was in Atlanta that he became an All-Star and eventually helped the franchise become competitive after it had been dormant for years.
This past season, Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds and made the All-Star team while helping Detroit finish first in the Eastern Conference with a 60-22 record. The team reached Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, but fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
If Duren is to leave, the Pistons will have a big hole at the center position, especially since they traded Isaiah Stewart, their backup 5, to the Memphis Grizzlies a couple of weeks ago.
The Pistons are an excellent defensive team and one of the NBA’s best fast-breaking teams, but they struggle in half-court offense. Losing Duren, who was their second-leading scorer this past season, would be a huge blow in that regard.
While Detroit secured John Collins, a power forward who can score and rebound, in free agency, it has fallen behind the pack as an arms race is underway in the East.
The Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat have added superstars Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, respectively, and the NBA champion New York Knicks have retained almost all of the core that took them to the top last month.
