At 22 years old, Pistons center Jalen Duren is one of the most prominent free agents of the offseason. After averaging 19.5 points (career-high), 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 65.0% shooting from the field last season, he’s due for a massive pay raise that will keep him in Detroit for the foreseeable future.
Even so, as a restricted free agent, the Pistons have a lot of control over his next contract, and they will have to decide just how much they think he’s worth. If he ends up in a stalemate with negotiations, at least two teams will be ready to make an offer: the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls.
“Duren is supermax-eligible after making the All-NBA Third Team, but even getting the lower max (five years, $239 million) coming off his rookie deal will be a challenge after the postseason he had. On the other hand, Duren is only 22 and coming off an All-Star regular season, and cap-room teams like Brooklyn and Chicago will be circling with offer sheets if the Pistons get cold feet. A five-year, $200 million deal would value him at $40 million a year and keep him in Detroit through much of his prime; that feels like a potential endpoint.”
Duren, 22, was the 13th pick in 2022. Initially, he got off to a slow start in his NBA career as the Pistons struggled to be competitive. The 2025-26 campaign was his breakout season, and the Pistons were thriving as the number one team in the East. Going into the playoffs, there was little doubt that the Pistons would pay whatever was necessary to keep him on the team going forward.
Following their second-round defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, however, things changed for the Pistons. Duren was especially putrid in the series, and his failure to make an impact is likely what cost them a trip to the Conference Finals. Now, there are major doubts about his value and whether or not the Pistons should give him a supermax extension.
Despite the Pistons’ trepidation, the Brooklyn Nets might be more willing to take a gamble on Duren. Besides Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they lack depth in the rotation, and Duren can give them some much-needed talent in the frontcourt. While he alone wouldn’t turn the Nets into an instant contender, he would give them direction for the future as a young big man they can build around.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls keep looking for opportunities to become relevant in the East, and adding Duren is one way they can get closer. After finishing 12th in the standings this past season, it’s clear the Bulls need more firepower, and Nikola Vucevic isn’t around anymore to provide that steady scoring hand. There are better options than Jalen Duren to step in for Chicago, but he does make sense for them given their hole at the center spot.
Alongside younger players like Josh Giddey, Anfernee Simons, and Patrick Williams, Duren could grow at his own pace in one of the NBA’s biggest market franchises. Unlike the Nets, he wouldn’t have to worry about fighting for minutes against Nic Claxton, and he’d have the green light to essentially run the offense.
For now, Duren is still in active negotiations with the Pistons, and both sides desire an agreement to avoid dismantling what they built this season. With no other alternatives, Detroit will likely concede to Jalen’s demands. If not, there will be plenty of teams willing and ready to make offers, and it could put the Pistons in a very precarious situation.
