The new contract that Jalen Duren signed with the Detroit Pistons is interesting in the way it was structured.
The Pistons signed Duren to a five-year, $200 million deal as the team locked up their All-NBA center for the next half-decade instead of letting him enter unrestricted free agency next summer.
While we knew how much Duren was going to make over the five years, we weren’t sure of the structure of the deal. But now, we do, and it’s interesting.
Jalen Duren’s New Pistons Contract Is Interesting
Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, here is how the Pistons structured Duren’s new contract.
“Sources: The Detroit Pistons signed Jalen Duren to a 5-year, $200 million deal, which declines for the 2027-28 season and then rises every season afterwards.
2026-27: $40.16 million
2027-28: $36.95 million
2028-29: $38.96 million
2029-30: $40.96 million
2030-31: $42.97 million”
2026-27: $40.16 million 2027-28: $36.95 million 2028-29: $38.96 million 2029-30: $40.96 million 2030-31: $42.97 million
What Could This Mean for the Pistons Next Year?
NBA contracts typically start low and then go up each year, so the fact that his cap hit starts high this year, then declines significantly next year, before going back up the following three years is very interesting, and it could point to how Detroit plans on building its roster next season.
By lowering the cap hit next year, the Pistons could potentially have more money at play next offseason, so the team could be looking to bring in new players or potentially lock up their own players with the extra cap space that they will have.
Since the Pistons had extra cap room to play with this year, it made sense to start the contract higher and then decrease it next season, when their cap space will be at a premium. It’s a smart bit of maneuvering by the Pistons’ front office, which is clearly looking ahead to next offseason already.
The other option would be to trade Duren, and if that’s the case, it may be easier to fit in his deal next year with another team’s salary cap structure since it will be for less money next season.
We’ll see what this all means in due time, but it’s an interesting contract structure for Detroit’s cap sheet going forward.
Jalen Duren’s New Pistons Contract Has Interesting Structure