Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren remains unsigned as training camp opens, and the contract standoff has been a surprise. Duren is only 22 years old, and it remains to be seen what kind of deal he will sign if he is back with the Pistons.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported, “All-NBA center Jalen Duren is not attending Detroit Pistons media day Monday nor the start of training camp, declining the team’s five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer in restricted free agency so far, sources tell ESPN. The sides remain at a stalemate ahead of Thursday deadline on a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer.” Pistons fans will hope a long-term deal gets done sooner rather than later.

JB Bickerstaff Looks Forward to Having Jalen Duren Back

Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff spoke to the media Monday about the Duren contract saga. Omari Sankofa II, a Pistons reporter for the Detroit Free Press, was at the press conference and relayed what Bickerstaff said about Duren: “It’s all love from our standpoint and we look forward to having him back.”

The coach’s tone is warmer than the negotiation itself. Duren’s representatives have made clear to the Pistons that the standoff is no longer about the money, and that Duren feels disrespected by the process, according to ESPN, particularly compared with how Detroit handled Ausar Thompson’s five-year, $155 million rookie-scale extension earlier this month.

What the Pistons Are Missing Without Jalen Duren

Duren was an important piece of a Pistons team that went 60-22 last season, Detroit’s first 50-win season since 2007-08. He averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals in 70 games. If Duren is back with Detroit soon, he will be able to get on the court with Cade Cunningham and the rest of the team.