Jalen Duren’s next deal with the Pistons still looks headed toward the same finish line, even if the road there has been messy.
Detroit has spent the better part of a year trying to sort out a contract number with its young big man, and the tension has been real enough to raise alarms. The Pistons are coming off a first-place finish in the East at 60-22, and with Cade Cunningham already in place, Duren has been viewed as the other major piece of the core. But the two sides have reportedly not agreed on what he is worth.
NBA insider Jake Fischer said the situation is still trending toward a return to Detroit on a four-year pact.
“This time last year, I remember hearing how acrimonious it was between Josh Giddey and Chicago, and how Dyson Daniels and the Hawks were so far apart,” said Fischer. “Kuminga even gets a decent payday from Golden State.
We still have about a month left for restricted free agents to come to terms with their incumbent teams. I talked with someone today who still believes he’s on track for a four-year, $160 million deal.
He’s clearly gonna want something closer to what Walker Kessler got than what Mitchell Robinson got. But when all things are said and done, and he makes life-changing money, I do see an opportunity for this to get mended.”
Duren’s case is built on the kind of regular-season production that usually gets attention in a hurry. Last season, he averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 65.0% from the field as Detroit grabbed the top seed. He believes that resume justifies the max.
The problem is what came after. His playoff performance was poor, and the Pistons’ second-round exit seems to have cooled the team’s willingness to meet his price.
There’s also another wrinkle inside the organization: Detroit reportedly views Ausar Thompson as its second-best player. Fischer said that message matters.
“The tricky aspect of all this is the messaging coming out of Detroit that the Pistons view Ausar Thompson as their second-best player, and not Jalen Duren,” added Fischer. “You don’t want to hear that if you’re Jalen Duren, and now Ausar Thompson’s extension talks will happen before the season, and he’s almost certainly going to get extended.
And if that happens quickly, and this has been a year dragged out with Duren, it will be a tricky thing to monitor moving forward. There are no other situations for him, though… we’ve got a month left of it, and I don’t think it’s ending anytime soon.”
Still, the market appears to be pointing back toward Detroit. Fischer said he believes Duren is on track for that four-year, $160 million deal, a contract that would put him at roughly $40 million per year and make him one of the league’s highest-paid centers. That number would place him alongside players like Brandon Ingram, Michael Porter Jr., and Walker Kessler.
For Duren, that would come in below what he wants. For the Pistons, it may be the compromise that keeps the relationship intact.
In Other News...
Pistons Need More Cheap Veterans Like One Key Rotation Surprise
Javonte Green ended up being one of the most useful surprises in Detroit last season, the kind of low-drama rotation piece every contender needs and every cap-strapped team appreciates. He was available every night, brought energy off the bench and gave the Pistons a reliable wing option who could defend, create extra possessions and knock down enough shots to matter, all on a one-year minimum deal that fit neatly into a roster still being built around young talent.
The Pistons brought Green back on another minimum contract, a move that says plenty about how they want to survive the next stage of roster building. As payroll pressure grows, Detroit is going to need more veterans like him, players who can fill real minutes without tying up money or future flexibility, and Green gives them exactly that sort of inexpensive stability while the bigger pieces around him continue to develop. [Read more 🡒]
Cade Cunningham Gets An Early Statement Chance Against The New Look Celtics
Opening night is giving Detroit a real early test, and it comes with the kind of spotlight Cade Cunningham usually wants. The Pistons draw Boston right away, which means the first look at the new roster will not be a quiet one. John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Gary Harris, Taurean Prince and first-round pick Ebuka Okoire all figure into the conversation as Detroit tries to show how its upgraded pieces fit around Cunningham against one of the Easts most familiar measuring sticks.
Boston does not look the same either, with Jaylen Brown out and Paul George and Mitchell Robinson joining the mix around Jayson Tatum. That changes the tone of the matchup and makes the early minutes especially interesting, because Cunningham will be asked to set the standard against a Celtics group still figuring itself out. For Detroit, it is more than just a season opener. It is a chance to see whether the Pistons can make an immediate statement against a contender that has reshaped its own identity. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Look Ready To Contend If They Can Resolve One Big Issue
The Pistons spent the offseason acting like a team that believes its window is open, not one still waiting for the right moment. After a 4-2 playoff loss to the Knicks, Detroit reworked its roster to give Cade Cunningham more help, adding John Collins and Isaiah Joe to improve the offense and deepen the rotation around Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. It was the kind of targeted reshaping that follows a 60-win season, with the front office clearly trying to turn regular-season momentum into something sturdier in the East.
Jalen Duren remains one of the central reasons that plan still feels unfinished. Detroit has the top-end talent to matter in the conference, but it also has a negotiation that has lingered into late August, leaving one of the rosters biggest questions unresolved as other contenders around the league continue to load up. The Pistons have built enough around Cunningham to look the part, but the final step toward true contention may depend on how they handle the issue still hanging over their young core. [Read more 🡒]