The Detroit Pistons reportedly improved their offer to All-Star center Jalen Duren ahead of training camp.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Pistons have offered a five-year, $200 million contract to Duren.
Duren and the Pistons have been apart about the valuation of the deal, though there are reports about the relationship between the player and franchise being strained.
The Sacramento Kings are strongly linked to Duren, with the Milwaukee Bucks recently added as a possible suitor.
New Jalen Duren Offer Has Rare Clause
In a new report by Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, the Detroit Pistons are reportedly adding a weight clause on their new offer to Jalen Duren.
“League sources, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said those weight stipulations, which were not yet submitted in writing, would serve as incentives in the deal,” Patterson wrote. “The muscular Duren, listed at 6 feet 10 and 250 pounds since his pre-draft process in 2022, has never been publicly known to struggle with his weight.”
It was a surprising move by the Pistons, which could become another hurdle to their rocky negotiations.
Duren and his camp were shocked when the franchise told them about the weight issue after losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Duren was even described as a “Greek statue” by one league source, according to Patterson.
The report added that the Pistons have a belief that Duren’s weight was one of the reasons why he had a terrible postseason.
It should be noted that Detroit’s current president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon is the same general manager for the New Orleans Pelicans when Zion Williamson signed his rookie-scale extension with a weight clause back in 2022.
Will Duren Choose The Qualifying Offer?
While the $200 million extension is tempting, Jalen Duren also has an option to sign a qualifying offer of $9.6 million before the October 1 deadline.
If Duren signs the qualifying offer, he will be betting on himself this upcoming season. He’s coming off a breakout campaign, becoming an All-Star for the very first time.
However, Duren had a terrible postseason, and injuries are always a risk. He could lose more money if he underwhelms on the court or misses time due to injury.
But if Duren returns to form as one of the best young centers in the NBA, he’ll have plenty of suitors next summer in free agency.
According to ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill on The Pistons Pulse podcast, there’s a chance that Duren won’t show up for media day and training camp.
Jalen Duren Extension Faces New Hurdle After Detroit Pistons’ Latest Offer