At the moment, the LA Clippers are in the hunt for their center of the future. Ivica Zubac had that title, but with him gone, and unanswered question marks around Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the spot is vacant, and hopefully soon to be filled.
Jalen Duren, someone LA has been dreaming of rostering, may be the one to do it. He is currently underperforming to a ridiculous extent, and as a result, the Detroit Pistons might look in the opposite direction in restricted free agency. This gives a team like the Clippers, which could have up to $43 million in cap space this summer, the chance to make Duren an offer he would love following his breakout all-star season.
At the end of the day, if Duren is brought to the Clippers, the fans will be nothing short of ecstatic; Duren and the soon-to-be superstar Darius Garland, on the books for the next few seasons, are the equivalent of heaven on earth.
The Detroit Pistons will hesitate in their attempt to re-sign Jalen Duren
Before the playoffs began, Jalen Duren was on track to become one of the league’s highest-paid centers for the Detroit Pistons. He made the first all-star team of his career, was the second option on the first seed in the Eastern Conference, and fits the Detroit culture to a T.
Realistically, for a center who averaged 19.5 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 65.0% from the field at the age of 22, nothing more needs to be said; the Pistons wanted him around for as long as possible.
But, as seen a handful of times in the past, the postseason can make a world of difference in contracts earned during the summer.
Unfortunately for Duren, he did not live up to the regular-season hype. In fact, over four playoff games, the Memphis product is averaging 9.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 turnovers, shooting 46.9% from the field.
These are role-player-level numbers, and because he has given Cade Cunningham the bare minimum of help, the Pistons are sitting in a 3-1 deficit; they are one game away from the most embarrassing playoff upset in recent memory.
This is certainly disheartening for the Pistons’ fanbase and organization.
That said, it’s understandable why the Pistons would be content letting him walk away, which is perfect for the LA Clippers, who need a guy as talented and young as Duren to take the keys to the future.
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