Багийн чухал тоглогчид болох Жэлен Дюрен болон Тобиас Харрис нарын ирээдүй тодорхойгүй байгаа нь Детройт Пистонс багийн зуны төлөвлөгөөнд хүндрэл учруулж байна.
Өнгөрсөн улиралд 60 хожил байгуулж, плэй-оффийн хоёрдугаар шатанд Кливлэнд Кавальерс багт хожигдсон Детройт Пистонс энэ зуны чөлөөт зах зээлийн хамгийн анхаарал татсан багуудын нэг болоод байна. Хязгаарлагдмал чөлөөт агент Жэлен Дюрен Лос-Анжелес Лэйкерс болон Сакраменто Кингс багуудтай уулзалт хийж, багаа солих боломжийг эрэлхийлж байгаа юм. Хэдийгээр Детройт Пистонс түүнийг багтаа авч үлдэх бүрэн эрхтэй ч талуудын хэлэлцээ удааширч байна.
Чөлөөт агент Тобиас Харрисын хувьд плэй-оффийн тоглолтуудад 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds дунджилж, Кэйд Каннингэмийн дараа орох бүтээмжтэй тоглогч байсан юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч тэрээр чөлөөт зах зээл нээгдэх үеэр таван өөр багтай уулзахаар төлөвлөж байгаа нь Детройт Пистонс энэ зун гол тоглогчдоо алдах эрсдэлтэй байгааг харуулж байна.
Детройт Пистонс ирэх улиралд бүрэлдэхүүнээ хүчирхэгжүүлэх зорилготой байгаа ч одоогийн нөхцөл байдал багийг ухралт хийх эрсдэлд оруулж болзошгүй байна. Чөлөөт зах зээлийн эхэнд багийн удирдлагууд шинэ тоглогч авахаас илүүтэй одоо байгаа чухал тоглогчдоо алдахгүй байхад анхаарлаа хандуулах шаардлагатай болжээ.
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Harris, an unrestricted free agent, has several meetings scheduled with other teams as free agency begins. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons, in the wake of a 60-win regular season and second-round loss to Cleveland in the playoffs, might be the most interesting team in the Association at the moment. As free agency officially begins, they find themselves waiting for clarity from two of their most important players last season: Frontcourt mates Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris.
Duren, as The Athletic has reported, is a restricted free agent who is taking meetings with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings Tuesday with the hopes of finding a sign-and-trade pathway out of town. The gap in negotiations between Duren and the Pistons sparked this strategy, but it remains possible the two sides eventually strike a deal — especially considering the signals sent by the Pistons. Detroit does not have interest in the Kings’ scenario, which would send three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis their way as a replacement for Duren, according to league sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations.
The Lakers could either give Duren an offer sheet (that the Pistons could match) or try to compel Detroit to cooperate in a sign-and-trade structure in which the third-team All-NBA center would go into the their salary cap space. But it will be challenging for LA to actually land him given the Pistons’ ability to control the situation, either by matching the offer sheet or refusing to engage on the sign-and-trade.
Why Jalen Duren is now a pillar of this Piston’s team
Dave DuFour and Esfandiar Baraheni
Which brings us back to Harris.
The 33-year-old unrestricted free agent was the Pistons’ second-most productive player in the playoffs (behind Cade Cunningham), averaging 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds. Yet Harris will be visiting with five teams at the start of free agency, according to a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing negotiations. (It’s not clear whether the meetings are virtual, phone or in person, or which teams are in play). At minimum, that means the prospect of Detroit losing Harris is somewhat real.
In turn, the Pistons suddenly find themselves somewhat in danger of taking a step backward this summer.
There is still a long way to go in this offseason, of course, but this is not ideal for a Pistons team that is widely known to be on the lookout for significant upgrades. The focus at the start of free agency, it seems, is on not losing the pivotal players it already had in-house.
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