Anthony Edwards deserved to make an All-NBA team last season, but because he came up short of hitting the 65-game requirement due to a knee injury, he lost that honor. His absence played a part in Jalen Duren making the All-NBA third team, which, in turn, made him eligible to sign a five-year, $287 million extension with the Pistons this offseason. He and Detroit are stuck in a stalemate.
Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Pistons offered Duren a five-year, $190 million deal, but the center wants at least $200 million (subscription required).
If Duren hadn't made All-NBA, he could've signed a deal worth up to $239 million, 25 percent of the salary cap. You have to think that he would've been a lot more willing to take $190 million (which, to be clear, is still a lot of money) if he hadn't been eligible to sign for just a little less than $50 million more after making All-NBA.
Not only could the Pistons have sorted out business with Duren earlier, but the Timberwolves' season could've ended very differently if they'd had a healthy Edwards.
Duren made All-NBA, while Edwards was ineligible
This isn't to diminish Duren's regular-season performance, as he averaged a career-high 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He turned into an offensive weapon for the Pistons, helping guide them to the No. 1 seed in the East, all while navigating a few weeks at the end of the season without Cade Cunningham, who was out with a collapsed lung.
It's not his fault he benefited from a controversial rule, but his All-NBA status probably wouldn't be as much of a talking point if Duren hadn't underwhelmed in the playoffs, when his production dipped to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. In Game 7 of the semifinals against Cleveland, he had just seven points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes.
The Pistons could've justified spending what Duren wants had his regular season success translated to the postseason, you know, when Detroit needed him most. And that's even if he hadn't made All-NBA.
To think that things could've been "simple" (if you can use that word in reference to restricted free agency) for the Pistons had Edwards met the All-NBA requirements, as he was clearly a top-15 player in the league this season. Technically, Duren can say that he was, too, but you have to read the fine print to see the full picture.
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