Jalen Duren and the Pistons, $5 million apart per year
Negotiations between the player and the franchise are progressing, although a renewal agreement still seems distant.
Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons are still struggling to reach an agreement to renew his contract, despite the franchise reportedly having put a five-year, approximately 35 million dollars per year offer on the table. The center, however, believes that his performance allows him to aim for over 40 million per season, prolonging one of the major sagas of the NBA summer.
The negotiation is particularly delicate because both sides have arguments to stand firm. Detroit wants to retain a key piece of their project around Cade Cunningham, but they also do not seem willing to make Duren one of the highest-paid big men in the league. The player, for his part, has just completed a season that completely changed his valuation and understands that it is time to get paid accordingly.
Duren believes he deserves much more
The 22-year-old center comes off averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, in addition to being selected as an All-Star and making the NBA's Third Team. His offensive evolution and ability to finish near the rim have made him a very important piece for the Pistons, who finished with 60 wins and the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Moreover, his selection to the All-NBA Third Team has significant economic implications: Duren is eligible for a maximum five-year contract worth up to approximately 287 million dollars under the so-called Rose Rule. This explains why his camp considers an offer near 35 million annually to be insufficient.
The problem is that Detroit does not seem willing to approach those figures. The offer of about 175 million for five years is a significant bet, but it is still far from the player's demands.
What can Duren do?
The most radical alternative is to accept his qualifying offer, set around 9.6 million dollars, play the 2026-27 season, and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
It is an extremely risky decision. Duren would be forgoing a huge amount of guaranteed money and exposing himself to the risk of an injury, a poor season, or another playoff disappointment significantly reducing his value.
But it could also be his way of pressuring Detroit. If he performs at the level of his last season again and shows he can be a difference-maker during the playoffs, he could enter the 2027 market with a much stronger negotiating position.
Detroit also can't afford to lose him
The Pistons have reasons to be cautious, especially after Duren showed some limitations during the playoffs. His production fell considerably, and there are still doubts about his defensive capability as a rim protector and what ceiling he can reach offensively against defenses prepared for the postseason.
But losing him would also not be a simple solution. Duren forms, along with Cunningham, the core on which Detroit intends to build after a historic season. Finding a center of his age, physique, and production capability would not be cheap.
Conclusion
The gap between the 35 million offered by Detroit and the over 40 million that Duren is asking for seems manageable on paper, but represents a huge difference in the long term. The Pistons must decide how much they believe in their center becoming a proven star, while Duren needs to evaluate whether it's worth risking millions to prove he is worth more. If neither side concedes, the qualifying offer could become a real threat and open up a much more uncomfortable scenario for both parties.
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