For weeks, one question has followed the Detroit Pistons wherever the offseason conversation has gone: What comes next for Jalen Duren? The rising star delivered the best season of his career and helped Detroit finish atop the Eastern Conference. Then everything changed. His postseason struggles during the Pistons’ first-round exit to the Cleveland Cavaliers left many wondering which version of Duren is real.

But what followed was a restricted free agency, and the 22-year-old’s interest in negotiating with other teams. Duren is seemingly looking for a deal worth around $40 million annually. However, the Pistons may not be willing to meet that asking price. His disappointing playoff showing has also likely made rival teams more cautious about offering a contract at that level. Still, Pistons legend Rick Mahorn sees nothing wrong with Duren testing the market.

“I’m not mad at him. Why not shop your services to other teams? Try to ensure you get equal compensation to a degree, and see what the Pistons are going to bring up. It wasn’t a great Playoff, but he had a hell of a season, making the All-Star team,” Mahorn said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“The playoffs are a whole different animal, and people look and say, ‘Well, why ain’t he doing this?’ Hey, this is when you have to play a team seven times. You ain’t got to play different teams 82 times,” Mahorn further pointed out.

Playoffs are far more demanding than the regular season. Opponents face the same team repeatedly, giving them time to study weaknesses and adjust. That makes it much harder for players like Jalen Duren to produce consistently despite playing the entire regular season. During the postseason, Duren averaged 0.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

Therefore, the 67-year-old NBA champ’s stance is easy to understand. Duren is only 22, and this is his first chance to secure a massive long-term contract. Few players would ignore an opportunity to maximize their value at this stage of their careers. Bigger paydays could still come in the future, but there is no guarantee. That is exactly why Mahorn believes Duren has every right to explore his options.

What’s next for Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons?

Jalen Duren has long drawn interest from the Los Angeles Lakers to fill the gap for a center. However, the Utah Jazz made it easier for them as they agreed to a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler. Meanwhile, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reported that the Detroit Pistons do not want to offer Duren the same type of deal.

Meanwhile, insider Jake Fischer reported that the Pistons have made “significant progress” towards keeping the 22-year-old with them on a long-term contract. “I heard yesterday they’ve made some significant progress toward figuring out a new contract that will keep their restricted free-agent All-Star center in Detroit for the foreseeable future,” Fischer said on Bleacher Report’s livestream on Wednesday.

He added, “I really don’t see any other outcome for Jalen Duren and the Pistons other than them sticking together and making that happen, because all those other options haven’t really materialized.”

Simply put, the Detroit Pistons are seemingly not ready to let go of their young star. Meanwhile, the negotiations continue between both parties. Jalen Duren, despite a poor postseason, might still be of great trade value. And maybe teams across the league are closely monitoring the situation.