Deciding whether to bring back Jalen Duren was only the second biggest question for the Detroit Pistons this offseason, as they size up a vastly different Eastern Conference than the one that saw them run away with 60 wins and the No. 1 seed last season.
The monthslong saga with Duren was over money, of course, but also power and respect. A lack of personal touch and a very direct -- if not harsh -- approach to the negotiations was one of the reasons it lasted so long. Duren's underperformance during the playoffs -- he averaged just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over 14 games -- combined with these protracted talks didn't leave a great taste with anyone.
Duren's postseason performance exposed the oversized weight MVP candidate Cade Cunningham carried, as the guard had nine games of five turnovers or more, illustrating the need for another premier shot creator. The Pistons inquired about trading for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant this offseason, according to league sources, and were positioned to offer Austin Reaves a big free agent contract if the Los Angeles Lakers opened the door. None of that materialized.
The Pistons had heard Leonard wasn't interested in coming to Detroit amid the Clippers' cap-circumvention scandal, per league sources, and the Rockets weren't willing to engage on Durant despite the close relationship he shares with Cunningham. As for Reaves, once the Lakers blew him away with a max contract offer, he wasn't going anywhere -- he'd already turned down being drafted by Detroit under the Troy Weaver era to go the undrafted route and sign with the Lakers a few years ago.