The Detroit Pistons‘ biggest offseason objective appears closer than ever to becoming reality.
One day after details of the franchise’s blockbuster six-team trade clarified Detroit’s salary cap outlook, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Pistons have already made “significant progress” toward a long-term contract extension with restricted free-agent All-Star center Jalen Duren.
Speaking Wednesday on Bleacher Report’s livestream, Fischer said he expects the two sides to reach an agreement that keeps one of the NBA’s emerging young stars in Detroit for years to come.
“I heard yesterday they’ve made some significant progress toward figuring out a new contract that will keep their restricted free-agent All-Star center in Detroit for the foreseeable future,” Fischer said.
“I really don’t see any other outcome for Jalen Duren and the Pistons other than them sticking together and making that happen, because all those other options haven’t really materialized.”
The latest intel from Detroit represents the strongest indication yet that negotiations are nearing the finish line after weeks of uncertainty surrounding Duren’s restricted free agency.
Trade Was Designed to Create Room
Getty All-Star center Jalen Duren is close to returning to the Detroit Pistons with a new, lucrative contract.
Fischer also shed new light on why Detroit agreed to the complicated six-team transaction.
According to the longtime NBA insider, the primary motivation wasn’t simply acquiring John Collins, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris.
Instead, it was creating enough financial flexibility to complete Duren’s next contract while avoiding the NBA’s punitive tax thresholds.
“What this trade did was it allowed the Pistons to clear the spending room for Jalen Duren to give his 25% of the cap maximum contract and not get into the apron,” Fischer said.
“I think that was the real calculus behind that trade.”
Fischer added that while Prince and Harris should provide useful depth as experienced two-way wings capable of complementing Cade Cunningham, they were not the central reason Detroit structured the deal the way it did.
“My understanding is the primary goal of that deal was to give the Pistons the real wiggle room that they needed to pay Jalen Duren and not be in the tax.”
Earlier Tuesday, Third Apron salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan reported the trade would leave Detroit more than $46 million below the luxury-tax line while also creating $15 million and $5.2 million traded-player exceptions through the departures of Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser.
Market No Longer Working Against Pistons
Detroit’s leverage has only improved as free agency has unfolded.
Earlier in the offseason, Duren met with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings while exploring the possibility of an offer sheet or sign-and-trade after extension talks with the Pistons stalled.
Neither path developed.
The Lakers instead used their cap space to acquire Walker Kessler, while Sacramento never gained traction in trade discussions with Detroit.
Without another team positioned to present the type of maximum contract Duren’s camp had been seeking, the Pistons have regained control of negotiations.
Fischer acknowledged that reality on Wednesday.
“I really don’t see any other outcome,” he said.
Long-Term Partnership Appears Imminent
Duren is coming off the finest season of his career, averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while earning his first All-Star selection and helping Detroit secure the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Although reports earlier this summer indicated a gap remained between the two sides on Duren’s value, Fischer’s latest update suggests those differences are narrowing.
The six-team trade did more than reshape Detroit’s roster.
According to Fischer, it may have removed the final obstacle to securing one of the Pistons’ franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future.
Pistons’ Jalen Duren Contract Talks Get Major Update After Insider Report