Kofi Inkoom
The Detroit Pistons have made the decision to exercise the rookie scale team options for the 2024/25 season on three key players: guards Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, and center Jalen Duren, as per Spotrac’s NBA transactions.
These options needed to be officially confirmed by the end of the day on Tuesday, and the Pistons did so just in time.
While the Pistons waited until the last moment to make these choices, there was never any uncertainty about their intentions.
These three young talents play crucial roles in the team’s rebuilding efforts, and their rookie scale contracts represent reasonable investments.
As a result, Cunningham’s salary of $13,940,809 for the 2024/25 season is now guaranteed, along with Ivey’s figure of $7,977,240 and Duren’s cap charge of $4,536,840.
Cunningham, who had limited participation in the 2022/23 season due to a leg injury, entered this season with high expectations as a breakout candidate.
The former No. 1 overall pick has lived up to the hype, averaging 21.0 points and 7.5 assists in 33.8 minutes per game over his first four games while shooting 40.0% from beyond the arc. He becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.
Jaden Ivey, who started 73 of 74 games in his rookie season after being drafted fifth overall from Purdue, is now providing scoring off the bench for Detroit in his second season, with averages of 12.3 points and 3.3 assists in four games, playing 20.3 minutes per game.
Jalen Duren, selected as the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 draft, has made a strong start to his second season, averaging 15.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks in four starts, playing 30.8 minutes per game.
However, he recently suffered an ankle injury, and his availability for the upcoming game against Portland is in question.
Despite being in his second season, Duren is one of the NBA’s youngest players, set to turn 20 later this month.
The Pistons have the option to exercise fourth-year options for the 2025/26 season on Ivey and Duren until October 31, 2024.