The sudsiest soap opera in the NBA continued today as Jalen Duren did not report to Detroit Pistons media day and is planning to skip the opening of training camp as well. Duren and the Pistons are struggling to find common ground on a contract extension that would end his restricted free agency and bring him back into the fold of a playoffs team for which he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds last season.
Shams Charaia of ESPN reported the news:
All-NBA center Jalen Duren is not attending Detroit
Pistons media day Monday nor the start of training camp, declining the team’s five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer in restricted free agency so far, sources tell ESPN. The sides remain at a stalemate ahead of Thursday deadline on a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer.
As Charania indicates, failure to reach an extension agreement would lead to Duren playing next season under his single-year qualifying offer before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, able to sign with whatever team could pay him.
Duren earned an All-Star nomination and election to the All-NBA 3rd Team last season, his fourth in the league. Despite his glowing regular season, the 6’10 forward averaged only 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over 14 games in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
