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Jalen Duren’s contract stalemate with the Detroit Pistons has taken another turn, with Marc Spears reporting that the 22-year-old center feels disrespected by the franchise. “It’s not about money right now. He feels disrespected,” Spears said on NBA Today. “There’s a black cloud going into camp. They gotta try to fix it, and I don’t know if they can in time.”
Oh No He Didn't: Marc Spears on Jalen Duren and Sacramento: "Scott Perry has a relationship with Jalen Duren dating to when he was trying to get the Knicks to draft him which they did, but they traded him to the Pistons...Duren likes Scott Perry a lot, he likes Sacramento a lot, but the Pistons, they're focused on bringing him back, they have some optimism, but it's complicated. I just hear that Jalen, it's not about money right now. He feels disrespected...there's a black cloud going into camp...they gotta try to fix it, and I don't know if they can in time"
Per league sources, Detroit’s last offer was a five-year deal in the $190 million range. Duren, who is eligible to receive a five-year, $287 million contract, is seeking at least $200 million. As is the case with any player’s contract negotiation, the use of player or team options in the deal significantly impacts the final number.
That’s how long Jalen Duren has to decide whether to take the most extreme route available in his stalemate with the Detroit Pistons: the $9.6 million qualifying offer that has a current deadline of Oct. 1 (more on that later). For the 22-year-old All-NBA center, who league sources say is very seriously considering that route, the choice to force his way into unrestricted free agency next summer would reflect a relationship gone wrong with the only NBA franchise he’s ever known and a risky (but understandable) business decision. League sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.
There’s one team, in particular, that appears perfectly positioned to pluck Duren if he should be available next summer: the Sacramento Kings. As The Athletic reported in early July, when Duren began taking meetings with other teams as a restricted free agent and made it clear he was interested in playing elsewhere, the Kings were at the front of that line.
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Whether it was the Kings or any other team giving max money — and league sources say Duren has three very serious suitors in all — the financial numbers over the next five years would ultimately be very similar (approximately $6 million less based on current projections). That alone might be enough for Duren to decide to roll the dice.
Jokic was simply asked to clarify who is the best defender against him in the NBA. Serbian center shortly said "Everyone," before naming a full list of different players: "Everyone. Some teams defend very well as a unit, while others have excellent individual defenders. Zubac guards me really well, and so does Nurkic. I guess they’re just bulkier, so I can’t move them when we’re battling for position," he said. "I think Rudy Gobert is a great defender, even though I’ve historically played well against him. Jalen Duren, he’s undersized but tricky. Wendell Carter Jr. is also on the shorter side, and Myles Turner blocks a lot of shots. There’s no need to even talk about Wembanyama. They’re all good; the league is talented on both ends of the floor."
One source briefed on the process says Duren is increasingly prepared to play out the coming season on his $9.6 million qualifying offer — with the intent to become an unrestricted free agent next summer — if no deal with Detroit materializes by the end of September.
James Ham: "Scott Perry went and had a dinner with Jalen Duren in Miami early in free agency. I will tell you, if you're Jalen Duren and his representative, I would look at the Sacramento Kings and know they can get up to max cap space next summer. Zach LaVine is coming off the books. Scott Perry is completely turning the franchise over, and I can tell you he has Jalen Duren's name in highlighter pen looking at next summer's free agency, if Duren is willing to take the qualifying offer."
Sam Amick on Jalen Duren's contract status with the Pistons: "There is a gap. It's not as big as I thought it was before having a few recent conversations. It seems like there's a window here to get something done and put him back in a Pistons jersey. I think what's interesting is like the QO has become such a nuclear option for players and also for teams that it's fair to wonder like man if they can't completely bridge that gap, how do both sides feel about the QO? Because even from a human standpoint, we haven't seen a lot of people successfully take that route."
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Tim MacMahon: "You mentioned the Kings, and that's obviously like if you're Jalen Duren and his reps, that's a little bit of your leverage. The threat of the qualifying offer and there's going to be a max market for us. It was noted to me, again, this is from an exec in the West, so I want to make it clear this wasn't people in Detroit saying it, but it's one thing to put a max offer sheet on the table when you're getting off a contract that you're trying to get off of. It's one thing to shed Sabonis' contract and put a max number on the table, or shed LaVine's or... But it's another thing just to straight up commit a max deal with no money going out the door."
The price of the contract is the sticking point. According to league sources, the Pistons are offering a five-year deal that would pay Jalen Duren in the range of $35 million annually. Duren, who is represented by agent Chafie Fields of The Team, is requesting a deal with an average salary in excess of $40 million. "From either camp, you can see their side," a West executive said. "You can justify it. That's what makes it hard." An executive from an East rival disagreed: "[Duren] and his agent aren't being realistic. They're anchored to the max-type offer. But $35 million is not a discount. It's a lot of money."
Keith Smith: Jalen Duren wants something around $40M per year. The Pistons are offering $35M per year. This will probably land with Duren getting $37-38M per year. Just gotta battle it out for a bit longer. (This is what happened with Josh Giddey/Bulls last season.)
