The Detroit Pistons made a roster move Sunday evening, but not the one everyone around the franchise is waiting for.
Detroit waived veteran guard Gary Harris, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, opening a roster spot less than 24 hours before Media Day. The move comes with All-Star center Jalen Duren still unsigned and his availability for Monday uncertain.
Harris’ departure does not necessarily signal an imminent resolution with Duren. It does, however, give Detroit an open roster spot at a convenient time.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints noted after the Harris news that the Pistons continue to signal that Duren will return, adding that waiving Harris “opens Duren’s spot.”
For a team preparing to report for work Monday, the timing will naturally invite speculation.
Pistons Clear Roster Spot With Jalen Duren Still Unsigned
Harris, 32, landed in Detroit this summer as part of the multi-team trade that sent Caris LeVert to Milwaukee. The Pistons had picked up Harris’ $3.8 million player option before acquiring him, but his stay in Detroit ended before training camp. The veteran has spent 12 NBA seasons with Denver, Orlando and Milwaukee.
Detroit’s offseason reshaped much of the supporting cast around Cade Cunningham. John Collins, Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince were among the veterans added, while Isaiah Stewart, Tobias Harris, Marcus Sasser and LeVert moved elsewhere.
Yet the biggest piece of the Pistons’ offseason remains unresolved.
Detroit has increased its offer to Duren to five years and $200 million, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Duren, coming off his first All-Star and All-NBA season, has yet to accept it.
That has pushed negotiations to the doorstep of training camp.
Duren’s status for Monday’s Media Day remains unclear. NBA insider Marc Stein raised the possibility Sunday that the restricted free agent would not participate without first signing a contract, while noting that clarity was still needed.
Jalen Duren Decision Looms Over Detroit
The clock is becoming harder to ignore.
Duren has until Oct. 1 to accept Detroit’s one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer, though the deadline can be extended by mutual agreement. Taking that route would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Detroit has consistently maintained that it wants Duren back. Earlier reporting from Stein indicated the Pistons had rebuffed sign-and-trade possibilities and viewed retaining their young center as a priority.
Duren, meanwhile, has a strong case for pushing negotiations. He averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds last season, earning Third Team All-NBA honors as Detroit won 60 games and finished atop the Eastern Conference.
Now Harris is gone, a roster spot is available and the Pistons are hours away from facing reporters.
None of that guarantees a Duren agreement is coming.
But after an offseason-long stalemate, Detroit has at least created the roster flexibility to accommodate the outcome it has insisted all along it wants: Duren back in a Pistons uniform.
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