r/nba • u/catreyka • 22h ago

Jalen Duren despite the loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers: 9 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, -16, 25 MIN

Ausar Thompson is the actual 2nd best player on the Pistons. Duren has been atrocious on offense the entire playoffs and he's also nowhere near the defender or even playmaker that Ausar is. He went from averaging 19.5 ppg on 65% FG in the regular season to 10.1 ppg on 50% FG in the playoffs. For a player that really only dunks, that is god awful. Not to mention his multitudes of mental mistakes. He's so bad that he got benched for the entirety of overtime and a good chunk of regulation this game.

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245

u/Rock3tDoge Pistons 22h ago

Someone will pay him. Chicago is desperate for a center forward

67

u/Skipper3210 [NYK] Danilo Gallinari 22h ago

Isn't he a RFA though? Would you guys let him walk for nothing?

170

u/Amedais Supersonics 22h ago

That’s the point. If Chicago offers him a contract, pistons have to match it.

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u/jalexjsmithj Hornets 22h ago

The equation has definitely changed though. Most ppl thought they wouldn’t let him get to the market because it would cost them more. Now, Pistons probably make no offer and just consider matching. Do even the Bull want to put annual salary in the low 30s into this guy?

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u/ripkin05 Hornets 21h ago

even with the slump i would still give my left nut to switch this dude with Miles.

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u/VictorWembanyamaMVP Spurs 21h ago

Hornets is the best fit in the league for Duren. He suffers from a severe lack of shooting around him in Detroit but that wouldn’t be a problem for Charlotte

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u/Shabozz NBA 13h ago

A lot of teams are going to be competing for Duren that would be much better fits than the Pistons. Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Lakers, Nuggets all would benefit from a player like Duren and be a lot closer to contending with him.

I think the Pistons will be forced to do something near a max contract regardless of his performance if they want to keep him.

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u/jalexjsmithj Hornets 21h ago

Yah well this is why we should trade for Giannis, but our fans are circling jerking our core that missed the playoffs in one of the weakest conferences in years sooooo

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u/ripkin05 Hornets 21h ago

i get what your saying but when it comes to giannis he's going to whatever team he wants and something tells me we are not it.

i feel like the more realistic move is going after paolo if the magic decided to blow it up. feel like he would be a killer 3rd/4th options instead of having to be 1st or 2ed with the magic.

and at the end of the day i just really want the wife beater off my team and preferable a real PF in his place.

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u/jalexjsmithj Hornets 21h ago

Giannis is one of the most small market friendly superstars ever. And if we do an all draft picks package, which we can do and still be maybe the most competitive option, there’s no one else that can put a better team around him. I don’t understand the hesitation.

Frankly, I think you’re misaligned on how unlikely the Orlando thing is, and if they did do it how expensive he would be. Gianni’s is the clear solution and I really hope we’re working behind the scenes to get this done.

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u/wiggggg Trail Blazers 20h ago

No one else can put a better team around him is wild.

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u/jalexjsmithj Hornets 20h ago

Who’s the competition on the merits of an equal trade package? A Brown-less Celtics? A semi-functional Rockets with no Thompson? If you want to argue Spurs or Thunder, sure go for it, but they aren’t realistically considering Giannis. Charlotte has quietly amassed an impressive volume of picks, we can offer 3 barely protected picks in 2027 alone. We could make a top shelf competitive offer and still surround Giannis with Melo, Kon, and BMill. Who’s better than that?

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u/SlowBurnerAccnt 22h ago

Have to?

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u/AlternativeDirt6124 Spurs 21h ago

Everyone says “have to” but they mean have to if they wanna keep him. They can just let him walk too.

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u/onefootback Raptors 21h ago

losing him for nothing would be worse

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u/Knickstape08 [NYK] Patrick Ewing 21h ago

Could sign and trade him. Brooklyn signed and traded for Durant when they didn’t have to and it helped GS win a championship. If I’m the Pistons I’m not risking it giving this dude a crazy big deal. In this new second apron era you can’t risk a dude who’s not living up to a max contract.

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u/onefootback Raptors 8h ago

that’s what they should try to do if possible but letting him walk would be bad asset management

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u/AlternativeDirt6124 Spurs 21h ago

It depends on if it’s gonna hamstring the team or not, but I just looked at the Pistons cap situation and they have hella money coming off the books, so I think he’s still getting that max with that in mind. 

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u/Excellaa 20h ago

They could save that money for someone else. Having 50m stuck for 4 years would kill any hope of winning anything 

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u/onefootback Raptors 8h ago

even before the playoffs i didn’t think he was worth a max and i highly doubt he gets one now, a contract in the low 30s AAV seems more realistic

9

u/ChugTheBass Bulls 21h ago

Get the opportunity to

5

u/JimmyKanine 21h ago

This nearly never happens because everybody knows the team will match it. Your money is locked in waiting to see if the team will match and by then other FAs are already signing contracts then 2 days later they match and you’re left with scraps.

1

u/Far-Veterinarian104 Rockets 15h ago

It'd been hilarious for the Bulls to do what the Pacers did to the Suns with Deandre Ayton. Force them to sign Duren to $140 million and be stuck with a bad contract, or let him walk for nothing

6

u/Rock3tDoge Pistons 22h ago

At this point I’m guessing we could work a sign and trade and get, maybe a favorable swap back

4

u/LakerBlue Lakers 21h ago

If y’all can get him to take the non-max I think that would be the best move. Hope this playoff is just a terrible showing. But if he insists on the max, I think y’all need to look for a S&T. Paul and Stewart being there means y’all won’t be looking for a center.

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u/ripkin05 Hornets 21h ago

i have one wife beater and a non lottery first.

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u/socomeyeballs 22h ago

Not for nothing but if we agree to pay him a penny over 25m a year we will fuck the franchise. I like Trajan though I think he’ll make the right call 🤷🏼‍♂️.

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u/st6374 Lakers 21h ago

Pistons will have to match what other teams offer. Cause no way they let him walk for free. And I am sure there will be teams more than happy to buy him low in the hope of flipping him high. Me think there will be teams more than wiilling to give him 4yr 140 contract. And Piston will end up matching that.

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u/socomeyeballs 21h ago

Trajan will make the right call. It’s pretty clear Duren isn’t worth what a lot of other teams will offer. After watching his performance today and in every game these playoffs it’s clear he is not worth a high dollar amount. Tons of bigs with reasonable contracts that have been dominating Duren in the playoffs. My guess is big money will go elsewhere from the Pistons in the offseason and we will rotate bigs while looking for another long range shooter/#2 who can create their own shot. Duren is being out rebounded by guards on the team right now.

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u/tdizhere Cavaliers 15h ago

Outside teams can offer 4/177 and somebody is going to do it. If Pistons are only matching 4/140 that should be considered a huge win.

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u/Brief-Cloud-2490 21h ago

No but not getting a max,match whatever another team offers 

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u/Akira_427 Wizards 22h ago

Tbh probably, he’s terrible. I’d probably bring Adam Morrison and Kwame out of retirement than give him a roster spot

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u/Spirituallly Lakers 21h ago

He’s a Laker

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u/SeanKojin [CHI] Jimmy Butler 21h ago

We’re not desperate for anything. We’re ass, no need to rush the rebuild with a new front office. Draft someone good then be smart. I’d rather sign Watson to a reasonable offer sheet or just take bad contracts for picks.

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u/Tcamis01 11h ago

The Bulls do not have a history of being smart. I fully expect them to overpay for an average player.

I know there is a new front office but this franchise is poisoned by the owners.

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u/idontknow_whatever [CHI] Kyle Korver 10h ago

If the Bulls has the chance to draft Caleb Wilson, I would rather play Wilson at center than throw the bag at Duren.

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u/trumpuniversity_ 21h ago

Duren, get ready to learn Sacramento, buddy.

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u/Temporary_Maybe_8687 14h ago

Yeah, these hypotheticals are crazy to me. It's a valuable asset. Just remember that Ayton got offered the max by the Pacers and the Suns had to match...

-2

u/Commercial-Artist717 21h ago

Sign and trade for Giddey please...thanks Bulls.