Jalen Duren’s extended contract holdout has obviously affected his relationship with the Pistons front office, but he might now also be coming up on the point of hurting his teammates too. In particular, Duren was notably close with superstar Cade Cunningham in previous offseasons but reportedly missed out on team events held by Cade this year.
Duren doesn’t want to get on Cade’s bad side
While Cade has been working hard to address his few weaknesses and build team chemistry, Duren seems to have distanced himself from the Pistons this summer. In previous years, we had seen him link up with Cade throughout the offseason to work on their chemistry as a duo and develop together. That work clearly paid off, as we've seen both players improve over the years.
By staying away from Cade and the other Pistons this summer, Duren is only making it harder on himself to play well next season if he does come back to the team. Team chemistry as a whole is always important in the NBA, but even more so in a lethal pick-and-roll duo like Cade and Duren. Even last season, when he took a huge leap as a self-creator, many of Duren's baskets were still reliant on easy setups from Cade.
Endearing himself to Cade this offseason could've also helped Duren land a bigger contract. The Pistons should be doing everything to maximize their roster around Cade now, which means that Cade could influence their free agent negotiations too. He's not quite at the level of the league's biggest stars, but Cade should still have some pull with the front office when it comes to the team's biggest decisions.
The Pistons might be slow coming out of the gate
Between Duren's absence this offseason and other significant roster changes, Detroit might need some time to find their groove when the season gets going. If Duren ends up traded, that learning curve will get even steeper as the Pistons integrate even more new players. But regardless, they won't be able to rely on roster continuity for a quick start like they did last season.
However, the Pistons are hoping to reach for a higher playoff ceiling with their revamped roster. A slower start for more progress throughout the season and a better final result isn't a bad thing by any means. It just might lead to some frustrations from fans, especially directed towards Jalen Duren.
Duren's offseason decisions have unquestionably made things harder for his teammates and thrown everything about the Pistons roster into a state of permanent flux. The saga is bound to end soon, but the damage has already been done.
