From 300 million to 9.6 million! Reportedly signs qualifying offer! The first bust All-Star center

In the 25-26 season, his stats were as follows:

Regular season: 28.2 minutes per game, 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 65% shooting, selected to the All-Star team and All-NBA Third Team;

Playoffs: a dramatic drop-off, averaging 30.1 minutes, 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 blocks, 51.4% shooting.

Only 22 years old, a big center standing 2.08m tall with a 2.26m wingspan, drafted 13th overall in the first round of the 2022 draft.

The question is: is such a player worth a max contract?

Well, whether the fans agree or not doesn't matter; what matters is the team's perspective.

The latest reports indicate thatDuren still desires a five-year, $287 million max extension, but the Pistons firmly believe he is not a max-level player and have consistently refused to offer him one.

Teams are not charities; it's hard to expect them to offer a max contract to a player who barely averages double-digit points in the playoffs.

Reporter Siegel reported on this, saying:Duren is now more likely to accept a one-year, approximately $9.62 million qualifying offer to start next season, in exchange for becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

If Duren does accept the qualifying offer, it means a lose-lose situation for both him and the Pistons, and their partnership will officially enter a countdown, affecting the team's prospects next season.

Last season, the Pistons showed significant improvement, finishing first in the Eastern Conference with a 60-22 regular season record. However, the playoffs were a struggle: they barely advanced past the Magic in seven games in the first round, then lost to the Cavaliers in another seven-game series in the second round, missing the Eastern Conference Finals.

Many analysts predict the Pistons won't replicate last season's success due to internal factors mentioned above, but primarily external factors: the Eastern Conference has become historically competitive, with direct rivals like the Knicks, 76ers, Heat, Raptors, Cavaliers, and Celtics all being championship-caliber teams.

Some might criticize the Pistons' front office for not actively recruiting. It is reported that star player Cade Cunningham has actively recruited players like Austin Reaves, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant to join, but the problem is that no star seems willing to bring their talent to Detroit...