It’s become the worst-kept secret in the NBA: the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren are stuck in a standstill. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Pistons have offered Duren a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $190 million; Duren and his camp won’t go below $200 million. If a deal isn’t done by Oct. 1, all signs point to the All-NBA center taking the $9.6 million qualifying offer and entering unrestricted free agency next summer.
The Gap Between Jalen Duren and Detroit Is About More Than Money
Whatever problems exist between the Pistons and Jalen Duren go beyond a $10 million gap. Amick projects that if Duren signs the $9.6 million qualifying offer and then a maximum contract elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent in 2027, he would earn about $196.7 million over the next five seasons. That is roughly what Detroit already has on the table, with a full season of injury risk and a $9.6 million salary standing between him and that payday. The Pistons might not be offering Duren the maximum they can, but the open-market route doesn’t clearly beat their offer either.
The disconnect between Duren and the Pistons hasn’t just played out at the negotiation table, but in team activities as well. He was noticeably absent from both the player-led minicamp in August and the Labor Day party at Tom Gores’ home. What could’ve been opportunities to begin to bury the hatchet became another chapter in this long saga that seems no closer to concluding.
What Happens With Jalen Duren From Here
The Pistons have until Oct. 1 to make a deal, though Amick notes a team can push that deadline back if it chooses. However, the season doesn’t follow far behind. If Duren does indeed take the qualifying offer, Detroit might need to act sooner rather than later. As Amick points out, the Sacramento Kings’ interest is very strong and they are still very much looming in next summer’s free agency. Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, who will have more cap space than draft capital, will have to be monitored for interest as well.
Trajan Langdon and crew have some difficult questions to answer. At what point does a future without Duren outweigh a future with him at too high a price? Even if they make a deal, can Detroit still get the best version of their star center? Is there a move that can still keep them competitive? All these questions, and perhaps more, will need to be answered, and soon.
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