We are less than two weeks away from the start of training camp, and Jalen Duren remains a restricted free agent. October 1 is the deadline for Duren to accept his qualifying offer, so the expectation is that we will have a resolution by then, but things aren't looking promising for the Pistons.
Detroit has been counting on the reality that Duren doesn't have too many options on the market. Teams that are interested in Duren don't have any cap space and accepting the qualifying offer is too risky a proposition. The Pistons weren't taking the threat of Duren playing on a one-year, $9.6 million contract too seriously.
It's time they start taking it seriously, because the relationship between them and Duren is more strained than ever.
Pistons may have a Jalen Duren problem on their hands even if they agree on a new contract
The problem between Duren and the Pistons goes beyond the money. ESPN's Marc Spears reported on Monday that Duren is feeling "disrespected", which is contributing to the stalemate in negotiations. Spears added that this is creating "a black cloud" over the Pistons going into training camp.
Spears confirmed that Detroit is still trying to bring the 22-year-old center back, and they are optimistic about their ability to do so. But they will have to do some serious work to mend the relationship with Duren, even if he is back on a long-term contract.
The latest reporting suggested that Duren was asking for at least a five-year, $200 million deal. The Pistons, on the other hand, are reportedly in the five-year, $190 million range.
That gap is certainly bridgeable. But the damage may have already been done.
The Pistons have been trying to squeeze Duren in negotiations all offseason. While it's true that Duren doesn't have a lot of leverage because of the Pistons' ability to pay him more than any other team, he just made an All-NBA team. There were no other 22-year-old All-NBA players last season.
But the Pistons didn't treat Duren like a star player. Sure, he struggled immensely in the playoffs, but he is a young player who has been getting better every single season. Players who have accomplished far less than him so far, like Orlando's Paolo Banchero or Houston's Amen Thompson, have already landed new deals above the $40 million per year range that Detroit is unwilling to go for Duren.
Plus, the only reason Duren and the Pistons are in this situation is that Detroit didn't give him a contract extension in the 2025 offseason. Duren was reportedly asking for around $30 million per year when he was eligible for an extension, but the Pistons weren't willing to meet his demands. That is why he hit restricted free agency this summer.
Moreover, the Pistons seem more interested in locking down Ausar Thompson on a new deal. There have been reports that Detroit sees Thompson as their second-best player, and it seems inevitable that an extension will be done soon. This has likely contributed to Duren feeling underappreciated.
Detroit has done little over the last year to make Duren feel appreciated. When the rest of his peers got lucrative contract extensions, Duren had to deal with the Pistons' attempts to play hardball. Especially when teams like the Kings are aggressively coveting him, it's understandable that Duren would feel a certain level of disrespect.
Even if the Pistons eventually increase their offer for Duren, that may not be enough to fix things between the two sides. The Pistons have to make sure they prioritize Duren and see him as a core member of the team. Otherwise, he may not finish out his contract in Detroit even if he signs one.
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