The Utah Jazz don't have to worry about Walker Kessler holding out and ultimately accepting his qualifying offer because they agreed to trade him to the Lakers months ago. They got ahead of things, knowing that they were still apart in negotiations with the center, cashing in and getting two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.
In other words, they did the exact opposite of Detroit, with Jalen Duren wanting more (subscription required) than the Pistons have offered, as reported by Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic:
Per league sources, Detroit’s last offer was a five-year deal in the $190 million range. Duren, who is eligible to receive a five-year, $287 million contract, is seeking at least $200 million.
Amick and Patterson added that Duren is "seriously considering" playing out the 2026-27 season on his $9.6 million qualifying offer, going off what Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported earlier this week that the center is "increasingly prepared" (subscription required) to do that.
Duren's contract demands make the Kessler trade look better
If Duren and his camp refuse to take the five-year, $190 million contract that Detroit has reportedly offered, the Pistons risk the center playing out the season on his qualifying offer, which would set him up to be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
As The Athletic reported, the Kings still have a "very strong interest" in Duren, whom they met with this summer, and he views Sacramento as a "desirable destination." Putting aside the fact that he's probably the only player in the league who feels that way, that gives him reason to take the risky path of betting on himself.
It could come down to Duren getting at least $200 million from Detroit, or taking the qualifying offer.
If Utah had kept Kessler, things might not have gotten as ugly as they did between Detroit and Duren, but the Jazz avoided that scenario entirely. It meant sending one of their top young players to a conference foe, where, even if he thrives, they'll be able to say at least that they got a good haul in return for him.
Detroit has been unwilling to engage in sign-and-trade talks with teams regarding Duren this offseason, and like Kessler, he met with the Lakers. The Pistons have maintained that they want to keep the center, but with training camp just a couple of weeks away, he still wants more than they've been willing to offer.
Utah can walk into Media Day and training camp without worrying about still trying to work out a deal with Kessler, for fear that he'd take his qualifying offer. Maybe Detroit can do the same, since there's time to work something out, but Duren doesn't seem interested in taking less than $200 million.
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