In a market where everything that could happen did happen, there remains a stubborn issue that seems to have only one possible ending, yet resists resolution. Jalen Duren remains without a team as his restricted free-agent status binds him inexorably to Detroit. One possible exit would be to accept the $9.6 million qualifying offer and test the market the following summer. But not every year do you reach All-NBA status, enough to justify passing it up financially.
Initially, it was floated that the Pistons had played up Duren’s disappointing playoffs to gain leverage in negotiations and offered him a market-below deal. However, Tim MacMahon reports on ESPN today that the center has rejected a five-year offer worth about $35 million per year. Apparently, he won’t go below $40 million.
The figure Detroit is offering aligns with what players like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, or Michael Porter Jr. earn. What he wants would bring him closer to Brandon Ingram, James Harden, or Tyrese Maxey.
The truth is that, with the achievements in hand, an All-Star and All-NBA like him should be able to be in the desired range. Something that for Detroit is likely out of the equation, surely due to the decline in his playoff performance. Another note is that, among players from his draft class (2022), only Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero have signed that 25% of the salary-cap space that Duren is seeking.
Both sides have until October 1 to negotiate, the deadline to take the aforementioned qualifying offer.
