Jalen Duren wants over $40 million: Pistons stuck at $35 million
Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons remain unable to reach an agreement on an extension: the franchise is offering around $35 million per year, while the center is asking for more than $40 million
The standoff between Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons is still unresolved in September. While this type of situation is not unusual, it is certainly worth monitoring in Duren’s case, coming off an All-Star season and a Third Team All-NBA selection with the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Duren was one of the key players behind Detroit’s 60-win season, further cementing his role in the franchise’s long-term plans. His production did, however, decline in the playoffs, dropping from 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during the regular season to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the postseason.
The main sticking point remains the financial value of the extension. The Pistons have reportedly put a five-year deal worth around $35 million per year on the table. Duren, represented by agent Chafie Fields of The Team, is instead seeking an average salary of more than $40 million.
The request needs to be viewed in the context of the current NBA center market, where only Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Domantas Sabonis, Rudy Gobert and Alperen Sengun will earn more than $35 million next season. Chet Holmgren can also be added to that list, given that he can play the center position, while the only other center making more than $30 million will be Walker Kessler, who moved from the Utah Jazz to the Los Angeles Lakers via sign-and-trade on a four-year, $130 million contract.
Detroit, meanwhile, has firmly rejected inquiries from other teams interested in potential sign-and-trade scenarios. One interesting detail is that, among the 2022 Draft class, only three players have received a maximum contract: Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams, all of whom are set to earn $41.2 million next season.
With the new CBA rules to consider, Ausar Thompson’s future extension and $36.5 million of room below the luxury-tax line, the Pistons will have to find common ground while avoiding the riskiest possible scenario.
Duren could instead accept the $9.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent the following summer, giving him the opportunity to choose the highest bidder. That route, however, would also carry enormous risk for the player: turning down a guaranteed deal worth more than $170 million today would mean betting on his health and his ability to land an even bigger contract 12 months from now.
The gap between the two sides is therefore fairly clear: Detroit views Duren as a cornerstone of its future, but not yet as a player worth more than $40 million per season. The center, on the other hand, appears determined to be paid like one.