Rockets already accomplished Pistons' dream with Alperen Sengun contract

Two years ago, the Rockets extended Alperen Sengun on a 5-year/$185 million deal that has ultimately proven to be team-friendly. Now, the Pistons face a similar negotiation with Jalen Duren coming off his first All-Star selection and heading into restricted free agency. As both teams know, the price of a young star's extension can make or break a team's financial future.

The Pistons will take inspiration from the Rockets

Both Sengun and Duren are successful development stories, considering their respective draft positions. Duren was selected 13th overall in 2022, but has already developed into an All-Star and potential All-NBA selection at 22 years old. Sengun himself was picked 16th in 2021 but has 2 All-Stars under his belt so far.

Heading into his contract negotiations in 2024, Sengun had put up an All-Star caliber season even though he wasn't selected for the honor. The previous season, he put up 21 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists per game at age 21. The ceiling was clearly sky-high for him and the Rockets were eager to lock him up quickly.

However, Houston held firm in their negotiations and came to terms on Sengun's current contract. Comparatively, some other players from his draft class playing at a similar level make much more. For example, Evan Mobley is making $269 million over 5 years and Franz Wagner is making $224 million over 5 years. You could argue both are better players than Sengun, but not by the margins reflected in their contracts.

Jalen Duren could drive a harder bargain than Sengun

The Rockets got lucky with Sengun; he might have been able to get more money somewhere else. Instead, his relatively cheap deal has given the team flexibility in the trade market and the option to spend on quality players elsewhere. The Pistons may not find the same fortune with Duren.

Reports indicated that the Pistons tried to sign Duren on a long-term extension last summer but he was unwilling to accept deals for less than $30 million per season. Keep in mind that his best season up to that point was 12 points and 10 rebounds per game. Obviously, he will expect to make much more than that now despite his poor playoff perfomance.

Duren may have struggled in the postseason, but his regular season accomplishments this season can't be taken away. If he doesn't approach contract negotiations with the same mindset that Sengun did, he could easily find a deal approaching $40 million per season from another team. The Pistons may find themselves in a tough spot if they're forced to pay him that much money and he doesn't live up to it. Fortunately for Rockets fans, that's not something they have to fear from their young center.

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