Jalen Duren was absent from Detroit Pistons media day Monday. Trajan Langdon said their silence stretches back much further.
“I have not spoken to the young man all summer,” the Pistons president of basketball operations said while addressing the contract standoff that has kept Duren away from the start of training camp.
Langdon said he does not know how Duren feels about him. He also made clear that, whenever the All-NBA center returns, he intends to welcome him.
“I’m not going to hold anything against him,” Langdon said. “I would be very happy to have him back. I’ll be excited. He’s been a huge part of our success.”
That was Langdon’s message on a day when the dispute became impossible to set aside. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Duren has declined a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer. His representatives have told the Pistons the impasse is no longer about money, and Duren reportedly feels disrespected by the negotiation process.
Langdon Says Feelings Won’t Drive Pistons’ Decision
Asked how that tension might affect his decisions, Langdon separated the personal side of the standoff from his job running the team.
“I won’t let anybody’s feelings get in the way of decisions that I make professionally,” he said.
Langdon declined to discuss the negotiations themselves, a position he said he had maintained throughout the summer. He did, however, speak at length about Duren’s place on the team. If Duren returns, Langdon said, the Pistons will work to put him in a position to succeed.
That leaves a difficult question unanswered: What will the relationship look like once Duren is back in the building? Langdon can offer a fresh start. Duren’s camp has made clear that the way the talks unfolded still matters.
The 22-year-old earned his first All-NBA selection last season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field. Those numbers helped make him one of the faces of Detroit’s rise. His production fell in the playoffs, but the Pistons are preparing for a season in which they expect him to play a major role again.
Thursday’s Qualifying-Offer Deadline Approaches
Duren has until Thursday to decide whether to accept his one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer under the current deadline. Signing it would put him on course for unrestricted free agency next summer. A long-term agreement would provide far more guaranteed money now and keep him in Detroit beyond this season.
Langdon said the Pistons would be “excited to have him in” regardless of which decision he makes. He expressed confidence that Duren would have a strong season and that the team could bring him back into its plans.
Whatever Duren signs, Langdon will eventually have to speak with him. Getting him back on the floor may prove easier than getting past what happened this summer.
Pistons’ Trajan Langdon Reveals Where Things Stand With Jalen Duren After Summer of Silence