The Detroit Pistons wanted to enter training camp focused on building off their best season in two decades.

Instead, the Jalen Duren contract dispute is about to follow them through the front door.

Duren is expected to skip Pistons Media Day on Monday as his months-long contract standoff with Detroit remains unresolved, according to league sources cited by Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson.

Technically, Duren would not be required to participate. The 22-year-old restricted free agent remains unsigned and therefore is not currently part of Detroit’s roster. But there is more to the story.

According to the report, Duren had considered going to the Pistons’ facility anyway as a show of support for his teammates and the organization. His decision to stay away is being viewed by sources as the latest indication of just how strained negotiations have become.

This isn’t merely a player waiting for a bigger check anymore.

The relationship itself appears to have taken a hit.

Pistons and Duren Remain Far Apart

Detroit’s latest proposal is substantial: five years and $200 million, with no team or player options. The offer also includes controversial weight stipulations that have not been well received by Duren or his representatives.

As of Sunday evening, neither side had moved. Detroit had not increased its offer, and Duren had not indicated he was willing to accept it.

The weight provisions attached to Detroit’s offer reportedly call for monthly weigh-ins throughout the calendar year. Duren’s camp was surprised by Detroit’s concern because the center has not previously been publicly associated with weight or conditioning problems.

That has helped transform what was already a difficult negotiation into something more personal.

League sources told Amick and Patterson that Duren believes the Pistons have shown him a lack of respect throughout the process. Detroit, meanwhile, has legitimate basketball and financial considerations behind its stance, including Duren’s postseason decline, concerns about his weight and the long-term luxury-tax implications of another massive contract.

The Pistons already increased their offer from $190 million to $200 million, but that hasn’t been enough to bridge the divide.

Duren’s Playoff Struggles Loom Large

There is no debating what Duren accomplished during the regular season.

He averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while helping Detroit finish 60-22. Duren earned his first All-Star selection and was named third-team All-NBA, accomplishments that made him eligible for a five-year deal worth approximately $287 million.

The playoffs were different.

Duren averaged only 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 14 postseason games as Detroit eventually lost to Cleveland in seven games in the second round. His field-goal percentage dropped from 65% during the regular season to 51.4% in the playoffs.

Detroit’s reluctance to approach Duren’s maximum salary eligibility is reportedly driven in part by that postseason performance.

That helps explain the Pistons’ position. It doesn’t solve the problem.

Duren can look at an All-NBA season and argue that his résumé warrants something closer to a maximum contract. Detroit can look at the playoffs, its future payroll and the weaknesses still present in his game and conclude that $200 million is already an enormous commitment.

Both sides appear dug in.

Duren Could Gamble $200 Million on Himself

Now comes the decision that could define Duren’s future in Detroit.

He has until Thursday, Oct. 1, to accept the Pistons’ one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer. Detroit can unilaterally extend that deadline, although it remains unclear whether the organization intends to do so.

If Duren accepts the qualifying offer, he would play the season on the one-year contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

That would give him something he does not have now: control.

It would also mean turning down $200 million in guaranteed money and assuming the risks of injury, regression or a softer market next summer. Duren reportedly believes he could land a maximum-salary contract in 2027 and eventually recover the money sacrificed by playing this season for $9.6 million.

The stakes explain why Duren’s qualifying-offer option has hovered over these negotiations from the beginning.

There are outside possibilities, too.

Kings and Bucks Have Serious Interest

The Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams with serious interest in Duren, according to Amick and Patterson.

Both have accomplished veteran big men who could theoretically become part of a deal. Sacramento has Domantas Sabonis, while Milwaukee has Myles Turner.

There is one significant problem with that scenario: Detroit reportedly isn’t interested.

The Pistons have declined to engage in sign-and-trade discussions involving Duren for months, according to the report, and there has been no recent indication that their position has changed.

That is an important distinction as trade possibilities continue to surround Duren. Potential Duren trade scenarios have generated plenty of discussion, but Detroit has not shown a willingness to move its All-NBA center simply because negotiations have stalled.

For now, this remains a contract dispute, not a trade negotiation.

Training Camp Could Be Next

Media Day may only be the beginning.

Detroit opens training camp Tuesday, and Amick and Patterson report that Duren skipping Monday’s event would be a strong indication that he could also miss the start of camp.

The Pistons then play their first preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 5.

That leaves very little runway.

Detroit has offered $200 million and isn’t showing signs of increasing it. Duren has rejected that offer and appears willing to bet on himself rather than accept terms he believes undervalue him.

Months ago, that was a contract negotiation.

Now Duren is expected to be absent when his teammates gather to officially begin another season.

That’s a different kind of problem.