Skepticism Surfaces Over Pistons’ Long-Term Plans for Key Players

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes recently suggested that it could be a “logical conclusion” that neither Ivey nor Duren is in the Pistons’ long-term plans.

“That's a possibility, and it's also true that neither 2022 draftee has shown enough to definitively establish himself as a core piece,” he wrote.

“But this is a different financial climate under the new CBA, and one key change is the disappearance of the rubber-stamped rookie-scale extension. Plenty of 2022 class members are also without extensions, including Keegan Murray (No. 4), Bennedict Mathurin (No. 6), Shaedon Sharpe (No. 7), Dyson Daniels (No. 8) and roughly a dozen other first-rounders. Teams are getting smarter about using restricted free agency (which Duren and Ivey will hit next summer if they don't extend) to control the market and avoid overspending.”

Let’s make it clear that the above thoughts were dubbed as potential overreactions at this point in the offseason, but it’s not exactly far-fetched.

Last summer, the Pistons paid Cade Cunningham an All-Star-type of extension before he became an All-Star. It’s certainly not rare for players to land lucrative deals before accomplishing major milestones these days. Signing big contracts is risky—but so is letting core players walk for nothing.

Jalen Duren has started 169 of the 206 games he played for the Pistons across three seasons. He has averaged a double-double for the past two years, posting a career average of 12 points and 10 rebounds per game. His lack of versatility on the offensive end of the floor does carry some concern, hence the Pistons’ rumored search for a big with range this summer, but Duren’s importance in other areas isn’t overlooked.

As for Jaden Ivey, he proved a lot of people wrong last season by coexisting well with Cade Cunningham within Detroit’s starting five. His three-point shot improved from a 34-percent average to 41 percent. He produced a career-high 18 points per game, along with four assists.

Unfortunately, Ivey played in just 30 games. A leg injury ended his regular season. As a result, he missed the Pistons’ only playoff run since he’s been with the organization. There are two big questions still looming: Can Ivey maintain that high level of production for his typical 70-plus games? And can he be an impact performer during the playoffs?

The Pistons’ front office has a lot to think about in the coming months.

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