The Jalen Duren saga didn't really concern the Utah Jazz much at all this summer. The only connection was the fact that Walker Kessler was in a similar boat, but that went in a completely opposite direction than Duren. Not only did Kessler leave, but the situation was resolved surprisingly quickly.
But there is another conclusion from the Duren saga being resolved: it should make Utah feel good about taking care of Keyonte George in the fashion in which they did.
First of all, they didn't want to risk going through the same thing that Detroit did by playing hardball with Duren. They absolutely could have if they wanted, as George is less proven than Duren. At the same time, if they made the playoffs and George had the same lackluster performance Duren did for MoTown, that would make things a bit compllicated.
But luckily, Utah didn't want to take any chances and get George's next deal resolved before that would have become a problem. It's possible doing so may not age well if George disappoints in the playoffs, but evidently, the Jazz threw caution to the wind.
Better yet, they brought him back for less
Duren got a five-year deal worth $200 million give or take. A fair price for someone who is coming off an All-Star and All-NBA honors in his early 20s. However, the postseason kind of exposed the problem with paying Duren that much, which explains why Detroit refused to pay him the full max.
Compare that to George, who got a five-year deal too but got paid $157.5 million over thsoe five years. The $43 million difference because while comparing a guard like George to a big man like Duren is as apples and oranges as it gets, it actually is debateable who the more valuable player is.
Not who the better player is, but who the more valuable player is. If Georges proves that he is more valuable to Utah than Duren is to Detroit, that's another mega win for the Jazz since they will paying substantially less annually than the Pistons will pay Duren.
Without firing too many shots at Duren - congrats on getting the bag, truly! - George signing that extension was also proof of how badly he wants to be a Jazzman for the long haul. Maybe Duren wanted to be in Detroit all along too, but he certainly took no issue making them pay up for him.
George could have had the exact same MO next offseason, but him wanting the get the matter resolved ASAP is conclusive proof that he wanted to get paid as much as he wanted to stay.
Is there anything not to like about George extending with the Jazz?
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