One of the big questions for the Detroit Pistons heading into this offseason is what the team will do about Jalen Duren, who is due for a new contract. Duren had an All-Star season at age 22 this year, but suffered one of the worst playoff drops in recent NBA history during the spring, leading some to wonder how much Detroit will be willing to offer him this summer.
Recently, Pistons insider Hunter Patterson of The Athletic detailed what kind of contract the team is expected to offer the big man.
“There’s a general sense around the league, as things stand today, that negotiations likely began far apart and will eventually come to a middle ground in the ballpark of a five-year, $200 million to $220 million deal — landing Duren an average annual value of $40 million to $44 million,” he reported.
Duren's contract situation is one of the more unique ones in NBA history. Heading into the playoffs, it seemed like a no-brainer that Duren would be back in Detroit for the long haul on a new, lucrative deal, which reached a higher threshold thanks to his being named on an All-NBA team.
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However, the All-Star looked absolutely listless in both playoff series against the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers, struggling to finish at the rim, getting outhustled on rebounds, and not making much of his usual impact on the defensive end of the floor.
The Pistons are certainly hoping that these struggles were just a blip on the radar and not a sign of other teams having “figured out” Duren in a playoff setting, in which they have much more time to game plan.
Still, though, it appears that the big man will be back in a Pistons uniform moving forward.
One of the big questions for the Detroit Pistons heading into this offseason is what the team will do about Jalen Duren, who is due for a new contract. Duren had an All-Star season at age 22 this year, but suffered one of the worst playoff drops in recent NBA history during the spring, leading some to wonder how much Detroit will be willing to offer him this summer.