The Detroit Pistons didn’t sign Jaden Ivey to an extension last offseason, a decision that was definitely the right call.
Both Ivey and Jalen Duren were up for rookie extensions, but the Pistons asked them to prove themselves before they handed over the money. Second contracts are always a big risk, as teams are often paying more for potential than what the player has actually done.
In Duren’s case, he absolutely is proving it and now looks like a guy who could command a max deal at the end of the season. Duren bet on himself and it paid off, but with Ivey, that gamble was even riskier.