Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren has agreed to terms on a five-year, $200 million contract. The deal brings an end to one of the most fractious restricted free agency periods in the NBA in recent memory. Though most free agents were signed by the end of July, Duren and the Pistons had held out on shaking hands until this moment, the second day of training camp for the 2026-27 season. Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news this evening.
Charania termed the contract “fully guaranteed” which seems to imply no option years. If true, that would be a win for the Pistons, as one of the possible concessions for Duren would have been a player option in the final season, allowing him to get to an even more lucrative contract cycle earlier. By virtue of his All-NBA nomination this season, Duren was eligible for a supermax contract which could have paid him a potential $287 million over its lifetime.
The fourth-year big averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game over 70 appearances for the Pistons in 2025-26. He was named to the NBA All-Star team and the All-NBA 3rd Team. His production plummeted in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, however. Duren averaged just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game over 14 postseason starts. His shooting percentage dropped from a stellar 65.0% during the regular campaign to a fairly-decent 51.4% in the playoffs as well. That drop in performance was widely speculated to be one of the prime reasons the Pistons offered him a less-than-maximum deal and stuck to their position while doing so.
