Victor Wembanyama may have just given Pistons the ultimate Jalen Duren argument

The Pistons may owe Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs a thank-you note as their negotiations with restricted free agent Jalen Duren continue. The 22-year-old superstar, who is already one of the best players in the league, took less money than he was eligible for this summer with his five-year, $252 million extension, passing on the supermax.

Duren reportedly entered the offseason hoping to get around $40 to $45 million annually, a price Detroit wasn't (and hasn't been) willing to pay. That led the center's camp to explore sign-and-trade scenarios, but now that we're a few weeks into free agency, the interested suitors have dropped, giving the Pistons more leverage.

So did the Wembanyama extension.

The Spurs would've happily given him every single cent that he was worth, but, in true San Antonio fashion, he took roughly $50 million less than he could've to help keep the team's core together. He wants to win more than anything.

Wemby's situation in San Antonio is different from Duren's in Detroit, but the Pistons can draw on what the superstar center did to strengthen their argument.

Wembanyama can help Pistons reach a deal with Duren

Duren had a fantastic regular season, averaging a career-high 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in 28.2 minutes across 70 games, shooting 65% from the field. He helped lead the Pistons to the No. 1 seed in the East, alongside Cade Cunningham, and he earned his first All-NBA nod because of it.

It seemed like he was going to get the kind of payday he was hoping for, but then the playoffs happened. He averaged 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 14 postseason contests, shooting 51.4% from the field. In Detroit's Game 7 loss to Cleveland in the semifinals, Duren had only seven points to go with nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.

His value took a hit because of it. He's not a max-level player, and his next contract certainly shouldn't be similar to Wembanyama's, who is projected to make $43.5 million in 2027-28 and $46.9 million in 2028-27. Mind you, that's in the range Duren wanted to get.

Duren, who is less than two months older than Wembanyama, can still get a sizable payday by signing a deal in the $35 million range. And depending on how his play improves over the next couple of years and whether he can impact winning on basketball's biggest stage, he can set himself up to get the contract he wants.

That's not going to happen this offseason. It wasn't going to before the Wembanyama extension, but because of that, that's even more so the case now. You're welcome, Detroit.

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