The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons will fight with bones and nails for the Eastern Conference's supremacy. As such, every move they make (or don't) may have a direct ripple effect on The Land.
That's why watching them still struggle to get Jalen Duren to put pen to paper is a big win for the Cavaliers. The Pistons even reportedly removed a weight clause from the five-year, $200 million contract they've offered him just to get him to sign.
As things stand now, it looks like Duren's day in Detroit will be over soon, and even if that's not the case, the Cavs should still benefit from all this saga. Let's take a look at every potential scenario from this soap opera.
The Cavaliers will benefit from the Jalen Duren saga
Let's say Duren doesn't sign his contract and instead takes the $9 million qualifying offer. That can lead to two potential outcomes: Either he balls out and secures a bag, or he struggles again and fumbles a big check.
The first scenario would most likely lead him out of Detroit and away from the Cavaliers. His relationship with the front office must have gone sour after all this time, and he'll take the first bus out of Michigan as soon as he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
But what if he continues to drop the ball as he did in the playoffs? Easy win for the Cavs. He's a physical big man who can give Jarrrett Allen some trouble, so having him be a non-factor is obviously positive for Kenny Atkinson's team.
Then, let's say Duren does sign with the Pistons. They've already tipped their hand and let them know that, as much as they value him, they don't consider him a max-contract type guy. Will he be as motivated after securing a bag? That can only ruffle some feathers in the locker room and mess with the team's chemistry. Again, the Cavs win.
Or maybe he signs but continues to struggle as he did in the postseason. How long a leash will the Pistons give him? How long until they attach a pick just to get out of his terrible contract, especially after already paying Ausar Thompson?
Of course, there's always a world where Duren returns to Detroit and plays well again in the regular season. He'd still have to prove that he's not a playoff dropper after his no-shows this season, and — as Cavs fans may know by now — that's way easier said than done.
This is a game of numbers, and the odds aren't in the Pistons' favor. Regardless of how this situation turns out, it looks like the Cavaliers will be a big indirect beneficiary of all this drama.
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