NBA: Playoffs-Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons
May 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks to center Jalen Duren (0) in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons agreed to a lucrative contract extension last week. With Duren coming off a breakout season where Detroit won a playoff series for the first time since 2008, negotiations were contentious and it seemed like the two sides might be headed for a breakup.
Duren’s numbers took a nosedive in the postseason and it seems the Pistons did not hesitate to say so while they were working on his new deal. According to ESPN‘s VIncent Goodwill, the Pistons told their young All-Star exactly what they thought of him before handing him a five-year, $200 million extension.
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Sources tell ESPN one of the reasons for Duren’s frustration was hearing in negotiations that he was the team’s fourth-best player — perhaps said in a way to illustrate how far he’d fallen in the playoffs, perhaps the cold part of negotiations.
That is fairly wild thing to say before making someone your second-highest paid player. Duren will make $40.1 million this year. That’s more than double what the third-highest paid player on the team, John Collins, will be paid.
Jalen Duren’s postseason struggles
NBA: Playoffs-Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers
May 11, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of game four in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Duren averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game last season to go along with 10.5 rebounds. In doing so he made his first All-Star team, but in the postseason things fell apart. His numbers dropped to 10.2 and 8.5 while he went from shooting 65% from the field to 51%. In 14 postseason games he only took double-digit shot attempts four times and never scored more than 15 points.
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In the postseason, he might not have even been the fourth best player on the team. Cade Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Daniss Jenkins and Asur Thompson were all better at points. Not to mention Paul Reed who scored 57 points in 65 minutes in the Pistons’ second round series while Duren scored just 69 in 203 minutes.
The Pistons might have actually been generous in their assessment.