Dave Litman
Detroit Pistons and restricted free agent Jalen Duren continue to be at odds on a new contract. Duren, following a breakout season, was “underwhelmed” with the Pistons’ initial offer, and according to Hunter Patterson in The Athletic, “not much progress has been made.” Insider Chris Haynes adds that “they are still far apart,” as of this week.
Teams around the league have been attempting sign-and-trade offers with the Pistons to try to pry the promising big man loose from the Motor City.
The latest offer, from the Sacramento Kings, would have sent three-time All-Star and three-time league rebounding champion Domantas Sabonis to Detroit in exchange for Duren. The Pistons said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’
The Pistons, as Patterson notes, continue to spurn all offers, as they prefer to keep Duren.
The Kings were one of two teams that the 22-year-old RFA had spoken to since the offseason began. The Lakers were the other, but they have since moved on and acquired Walker Kessler as their center of the future in a big sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz.
Jalen Duren’s stalemate with Pistons continues, team rejects trade offer
Patterson further opines that “Duren’s market is shrinking and further limiting his leverage in negotiations with Detroit.
“A league source, granted anonymity to discuss negotiations still in progress, told The Athletic that signing Duren is Detroit’s No. 1 offseason priority and the team is confident it’ll come to an agreement with Duren.”
The Pistons made a qualifying offer of $9.6 million to the 6’10” center to maintain his rights. If the two sides can’t resolve their impasse on a long-term deal, Duren could bet on himself and simply accept that QO. That would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. And as Haynes said this week, “If he takes that (qualifying offer)…(that means) he really wants out. That he is fed up…and doesn’t want to be there. Even if that’s the case, I would say do not do that!”
Haynes added that Duren could threaten the Pistons that he could take that qualifying offer. That would convince Detroit to at least do a shorter-term deal with them (for perhaps two years), so that they wouldn’t lose him for nothing after the coming season.
“The problem with restricted free agency is that it tends to get ugly,” Haynes said. “And it has a chance to go long, deep into the summer.”
This past season, Duren broke out big-time, averaging 19.5 points per game, up from 11.8 the year before, while maintaining his double-digit rebounding (10.5 rpg). He was named All-NBA third team, was an All-Star, and finished 11th in balloting for Defensive Player of the Year. The only blemish on his 2025-26 season (and it was a big one) was his disappearing act in the playoffs. In 14 games, his scoring fell to just 10.5 ppg. That was the biggest scoring drop-off in an NBA All-Star season since Elgin Baylor in 1969. It was also the second-largest collapse of this sort in NBA history.
Duren was the Pistons’ first-round pick, 13th overall, in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The stalemate continues, and yes, it could continue to get “ugly.”
