The NBA finally announced the All-NBA teams on Sunday. Cade Cunningham made the All-NBA first team while Jalen Duren earned third team honors. The recognition for the Detroit Pistons is obviously great, but both players would presumably have preferred to still be in the playoffs over individual accolades.
2025-26 All-NBA teams:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 24, 2026
First: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham
Second: Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell
Third: Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Jalen Johnson, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren
Pistons lost some leverage in extension negotiations with Jalen Duren
Duren's inclusion in the All-NBA teams adds a fascinating wrinkle to the Pistons' offseason. The 22-year-old center was considered to have a borderline case for the third team, which was going to have huge implications for his next contract.
Now that he has made an All-NBA team, Duren is now eligible to earn a maximum contract 30% of the salary cap rather than the 25%. This brings his maximum starting salary for next season from $41.3 million to $49.5 million. The most the Pistons can offer him in an extension is five years, $287 million, as opposed to a five-year, $239 million contract.
This gives the Pistons a massive advantage in retaining Duren. The most another team can offer him in restricted free agency is four years and $177.4 million. The Pistons can wait for Duren to get an offer sheet worth that amount and then match it.
However, this carries the risk of alienating Duren. If the Pistons were to play hardball with the talented young center, Duren could be frustrated with the team's lack of commitment to him.
This also means that the Pistons have to negotiate much harder now. They obviously don't want to give Duren a max extension after the postseason he just had. Duren's camp will not be asking for the max extension, either. But now, Duren will be negotiating from an advantageous position.
Not only does Duren have the accolades of an All-NBA center now, but he also has a higher salary amount he can point to as leverage.
There is a difference between asking for $40 million a year when your max starts at $49.5 million versus $41.3 million. The Pistons will find it more difficult to convince Duren to take less than $40 million in annual average salary when he is eligible for over 20% more than that.
This is where GM Trajan Langdon and the Pistons front office have to show their worth. They have done a good job building this roster so far, but now, they must nail these crucial decisions to take the next step into contention. How much they invest in Duren will determine how much flexibility they will have in building a contender going forward.
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