<\/p>\n
The Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren have been locked in bitter contract negotiations for months, and the latest news may spell trouble for both sides. Per NBA insider Marc Stein, Duren is considering taking the qualifying offer<\/a> if the Pistons won’t give him the contract he wants.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That all-or-nothing strategy seems foolish, at least from the outside looking in. Duren wants a 5-year deal that will pay him north of $40 million a year, totaling at least $200 million. The Pistons, on the other hand, are hoping to pay him only around $35 million annually.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That suggests the gap between the two sides is at least $25 million. Duren turning all of that guaranteed money down to take a one-year qualifying offer worth $9.3 million is obviously risky, to say the least.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n While signing a deal worth $35 million annually might not be what he wants, it’s far less risky. Former NBA center Nerlens Noel should be a cautionary tale for Duren.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was a former lottery pick who was offered a 4-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Dallas Mavericks back in 2017. Instead, he turned down that offer and later signed the $4.1 million qualifying offer. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t make anywhere near that amount when he became an unrestricted free agent the following summer.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Noel’s case is surprisingly similar to Duren’s. Noel thought he was worth much more than what his team was willing to pay and bet on himself. If Duren isn’t careful, like Noel, it could backfire spectacularly.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Make no mistake, him taking the qualifying offer could hurt the Pistons. If he takes that offer, then he can leave Detroit for nothing next offseason. Worse yet, he could potentially prevent the Pistons from trading him before then. Duren can do so by hinting that he wouldn’t re-sign with a team interested in acquiring him.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At this point, his taking the qualifying offer could be seen as a petty way to punish the Pistons for not meeting his contract demands. Then again, restricted free agency is inherently unfair to players, so he’s well within his rights to try and exert pressure on Detroit.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\nThe Pistons’ Jalen Duren is playing with fire
\n<\/h2>\nThe Pistons will be negatively affected if Duren bets on himself
\n<\/h2>\n