Jason Burgos
A new rumor claims an Eastern Conference rival will be used in a bidding war against the Detroit Pistons so Jalen Duren can get a huge pay bump this summer.
On Wednesday night, the Pistons avoided a big upset in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs when they earned a hard-fought 116-109 win over the Orlando Magic. Unsurprisingly, top star Cade Cunningham had a huge night as he posted 45 points and hit five three-pointers in an elimination game.
Without a doubt, the Pistons aren’t at this point and don’t have a chance to advance to the semifinals without the former No. 1 overall pick. But he did not do it alone in 2025-26, and the huge leap forward that center Jalen Duren took was why they earned the No. 1 seed in the East.
The former first-round pick earning All-Star honors with a breakout season came at just the right time because he is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. While the Pistons have the right to match any offer he gets, he is sure to seek out a four-year, $177.4 million max deal on the open market. But is there any rival team that might be willing to do that?
Will the Chicago Bulls be used as a competitor in Jalen Duren’s free agency market?
Well, there may be one team that might, or at least Duren’s representation will try to make it look like they might. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, many around the NBA expect Duren’s team “will attempt to generate interest from Chicago in restricted free agency since the Bulls are projected to wield some $65 million in salary cap space.”
It is unclear what the Chicago Bulls will do this offseason since they need to hire a new head of the front office and head coach. However, after moving Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline, Fischer notes, “Chicago’s lack of a proven center on the current roster is undeniable.”
The Pistons can top any offer if they are willing to offer a standard max deal of five years and $239.25 million this summer.
