The Detroit Pistons have put $200 million on the table for Jalen Duren. But the All-NBA center isn’t budging.
The Milwaukee Bucks have emerged as one reason he may feel comfortable waiting.
Milwaukee is among at least two teams beyond the Sacramento Kings with serious interest in Duren, both now and potentially next summer, Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson reported Monday for The Athletic. The report did not identify the other team.
That interest gives Detroit’s 22-year-old All-NBA center a market to consider as his contract talks stretch toward training camp. It does not mean the Bucks have made an offer, or that the Pistons are willing to trade him.
Detroit raised its proposal in recent days from five years and $190 million to five years and $200 million, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier. The new offer is fully guaranteed and contains no team or player options. Duren has not accepted it.
A week before the Pistons’ media day, the difference between the sides is about more than finding another $10 million.
Bucks Interest Adds Pressure to Pistons Talks
The Kings have signaled a willingness to pay Duren a maximum salary next summer, The Athletic previously reported. Milwaukee’s interest gives him another possible suitor, although there is no guarantee either team could complete a deal with him.
Duren’s route to that market carries risk. He has until Oct. 1 to accept Detroit’s $9.6 million qualifying offer, a one-year contract that would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He would give up the security of the Pistons’ five-year guarantee and have to play another season before signing his next major deal.
The potential reward has grown, however. The Athletic calculated that Duren could earn about $198.8 million over the next five years if he took the qualifying offer and then signed a four-year maximum deal elsewhere. That is close to Detroit’s current $200 million proposal, though it depends on a future offer that does not yet exist.
The outside interest may strengthen Duren’s willingness to wait. The reporting does not establish that Milwaukee’s interest caused him to reject Detroit’s latest offer.
Duren’s Absence Makes Media Day the Next Test
The impasse has already carried beyond contract discussions. Duren missed a minicamp organized by Cade Cunningham in San Diego and owner Tom Gores’ summer team event in Southern California, according to The Athletic.
Charania earlier indicated that Duren could also miss Monday’s media day if talks remain unresolved. That would bring a dispute that has lasted more than a year into the Pistons’ first official gathering of the new season.
Duren earned All-Star and All-NBA honors after averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds last season. Detroit, meanwhile, must weigh that production against his postseason struggles and the cost of building around him alongside Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons have improved their offer and have resisted sign-and-trade discussions. Yet Duren has also been resolute in demanding more respect from the Pistons. With Milwaukee and Sacramento interested, both sides know the decision could shape Detroit’s frontcourt well beyond this training camp.
Pistons’ $200 Million Jalen Duren Offer Faces New Threat From East Rival