The Pistons and Jalen Duren may be dealing with more than just contract numbers this offseason.
Hunter Patterson and Sam Amick of The Athletic confirmed that Detroit has built weight-related language into some of its offers to the restricted free agent center, following up on a Shams Charania report. Patterson and Amick previously reported that the Pistons’ latest proposal to Duren - a five-year, $200MM deal - is fully guaranteed, but they now say it includes a weight clause.
The specifics haven’t been formally submitted yet, but the concept is straightforward: Duren would have his weight checked every month throughout the year. According to Patterson and Amick, that request may not have gone over well with Duren and his camp.
League sources told The Athletic that Detroit wanted Duren to lose some weight after the Pistons’ second-round loss to Cleveland and believed it may have played a role in his postseason struggles. Patterson and Amick also wrote that the concern “came as a surprise” to the 22-year-old and his representatives.
There’s a clear link here to Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who was in the Pelicans’ front office when they negotiated Zion Williamson’s max contract with weight language attached. In that deal, future salaries could become partially non-guaranteed if Williamson failed to meet certain weight and body fat percentage benchmarks.
Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press raised the bigger question hanging over the situation: is the relationship between Detroit and Duren simply tense, or is it already beyond repair? That part remains unresolved, but the weight clause has clearly become one of the flash points.
Elsewhere in the Central, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times took a long look at the Bulls’ frontcourt for 2026/27 and called the Nic Claxton-Caleb Wilson-Matas Buzelis trio the “most exciting” in Chicago since the days of Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. Cowley also questioned whether former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams would even be part of the rotation, with Isaac Okoro, Jalen Smith, Zach Collins, and Leonard Miller all in the mix for minutes.
In Milwaukee, Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiled new Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins as he steps in to help reset the team’s culture after the departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Rival coaches and scouts were upbeat about what Jenkins can do there.
“They’re gonna be better than most people think,” one opposing coach told Owczarski. “They could start 8-2 or 7-3.
Taylor is a very good basketball coach. They’re gonna be a sneaky team.”
And in Cleveland, John Hollinger of The Athletic picked the Cavaliers and Bucks as two of five teams he expects to beat their 2026/27 win totals. Hollinger said the Cavs haven’t finished below 48 wins since 2021/22 and pointed to Milwaukee’s upgraded depth as a reason to believe the Bucks have a sturdy baseline.
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Hawks Move On From Keon Johnson And Raise An Immediate Question
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Among the teams mentioned as possible fits are the Nuggets, the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, though nothing has been confirmed by any of them. For Chicago, the interest is more about roster context than anything else, as the front office continues to sort through training camp options and evaluate whether another camp body makes sense in a group that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]