Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been around the NBA long enough to know that not every financial matter goes perfectly. And that is where Bickerstaff’s team stands today with All-Star center Jalen Duren.
At the moment, Duren and Detroit are in the middle of a contract situation. Duren didn’t show up at media day. He isn’t at practice. As far as we know, the Pistons aren’t considering a trade. The sides are likely to reach some conclusion at some point.
Most everyone believes Duren will be back in uniform for a team that won 60 games last season and earned the No. 1 seed in the East. Bickerstaff appears to be among those believers.
“The most difficult part of our job is the business of basketball,” Bickerstaff told reporters, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “It’s a part of it, and it is what it is. When JD comes back, he’ll be welcomed with open arms and his teammates will do the same.”
Bickerstaff echoed what most players, coaches and even the front office are saying. They all believe Duren will be back. That list included Cade Cunningham.
But everyone has been diplomatic and not taken a side at this point. That’s probably the best approach for a team that went from also-ran to one with high expectations.
The Pistons know those expectations will be higher with Duren on the floor. Now they just need to make sure the dollars make sense. In professional basketball, that’s just business.
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