Jalen Duren may have cost himself some money in recent weeks, but he should still be doing pretty well for himself.
The Detroit Pistons center Duren is expected to command a five-year contract from the team in free agency this offseason, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the anticipated financial figure for Duren is $200 million-$220 million (for an average of around $40 million-$44 million per year).
Duren, still only 22 years old, was an All-Star as well as an All-NBA selection for the Pistons this year. He averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game during the regular season and was a major reason why Detroit secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference at 60-22.
But Duren saw his stock get shredded during the postseason with his lackluster performance. His averages fell to 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, and he posted some real skunk shows along the way as the Pistons lost in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Because Duren made an All-NBA team this season, he is eligible for a five-year supermax extension worth $287.1 million. But now it sounds like Duren will be in line for a potential cut of about 25 percent from that figure instead.
Earlier this offseason, Pistons president Trajan Langdon spoke out about the future of Duren, who will officially be a restricted free agent this summer. But as it turns out, Duren’s playoff no-show could end up benefiting Detroit from a long-term team-building perspective as it means they will now have to pay far less money to retain him.
