Before the NBA world started taking shots at Chet Holmgren after a tough series against Victor Wembanyama, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren was the talk of the NBA Playoffs for all of the wrong reasons.
Unfortunately for Duren, the stakes were higher.
Holmgren won a championship with the Thunder in 2025. Next season, his five-year $239.2 million contract kicks in. Life isn’t so bad for the big man.
As for Duren, one bad playoff run could have a massively negative impact on his future. Although he’s eligible for a supermax extension after earning All-NBA honors in 2025-2026, the star center landed a less-than-ideal prediction from Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes.
NBA Free Agency 2026: Pistons’ Jalen Duren Gets Bad Contract Prediction
GettyJalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons reacts against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on March 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
“The All-NBA nod made it official: Jalen Duren is now eligible for a five-year deal from the Detroit Pistons worth up to $287.1 million. That figure represents a so-called 30-percent max. Don’t worry, he won’t get anywhere near that number,” Hughes wrote on May 31.
“In fact, this is a bet that Duren also won’t come close to what he could have gotten from Detroit without the All-NBA boost, five years and $239 million.”
The Pistons have made it clear that they are interested in bringing Duren back for the long haul. However, the Pistons’ President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, also made it clear that the playoff run would be addressed in negotiations. That’s the clear code that they want to pay for what they got.
The fact that Duren will still have suitors should help. The max might be out of his range, but a bidding war could go down and help him recover a bit.
Jalen Duren’s Pistons Career
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 17: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons controls the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on March 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
In 2022, Duren entered the NBA Draft after a season at Memphis. He was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, but his draft rights were moved to Detroit.
Duren joined a tanking Pistons team. He started 31 out of 67 games as a rookie. In year two, Duren was a full-time starter for 60 games. He averaged 13.8 points and 11.6 rebounds.
When the Pistons entered the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture in 2024-2025, Duren posted averages of 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 78 games. His regular-season production remained consistent with his playoff performance.
The 2025-2026 season went extremely well for Duren. He averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. However, in the playoffs, he posted 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Pistons Before 2026 Free Agency
GettyJalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the first half of a basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on April 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
After a second-round exit as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons can no longer play the “we didn’t expect to be here” card.
Trajan Langdon has had a patient approach through his first two seasons as the President of the front office. There wasn’t anything wrong with him seeing the roster through without any major swings in the trade market or free agency.
Two years in a row, the Pistons didn’t have enough when it mattered most. This is a critical offseason for Langdon and the group.
Since Duren is only 22, it seems premature to give up on him entirely. The Pistons would be wise to bring him back, of course, for less than the max.
But the 2026 carries more questions than Duren’s future in Detroit.