Jalen Duren’s contract standoff with the Detroit Pistons has him considering the boldest and riskiest possible move he could make.
Duren is very seriously considering taking the qualifying offer from the Pistons, according to Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. That would pay Duren just $9.6 million for the upcoming season, but would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Talks between Duren and the Pistons have stalled recently after some progress appeared to be made. The center wants a deal worth at least $200 million, but the Pistons so far have been unwilling to offer more than $190 million over five years.
Duren’s relationship with the team appears strained even beyond the financial factors. He was notably absent from a recent team minicamp organized by Cade Cunningham, and was also a no-show at owner Tom Gores’ Labor Day party in California.
The two sides do not actually seem to be that far apart financially, but the bad feelings from the summer-long negotiations seem to have driven a wedge between the player and organization. For that reason, Duren might be considering the one-year qualifying offer to give himself a chance to leave sooner, with the Sacramento Kings known to have strong interest. Such a move still carries significant risk, however, due to the lack of long-term security.
Duren had his best career campaign last year, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game en route to All-Star and All-NBA honors. However, he largely disappeared in the playoffs with 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as the Pistons bowed out in the second round.
