It turns out that the Detroit Pistons aren’t going to include a weight clause in a new contract for star center Jalen Duren.
Reports stated that the Pistons were going to have a requirement to monitor Duren’s weight in any new contract. However, it turns out that it was never in writing, and it won’t be part of a contract, according to Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
“Per league sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as negotiations continue, the weight clause initially proposed as part of the Pistons’ five-year, $200 million offer is no longer part of the talks. The clause was never put in writing,” Amick and Patterson wrote.
The initial report stated that the Pistons wanted Duren to cut weight after the playoff exit, although this new development says there was no writing in a contract regarding such a clause.
Duren was an All-Star and an All-NBA selection last season, and he has been hoping to cash in on a big deal this offseason. Detroit reportedly offered Duren a $200 million deal, although the young center wasn’t at Media Day.
The deadline for Duren to sign a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer is at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, and if he does, he would hit free agency in 2027 with a chance to cash in big, although that would mean forsaking the Pistons’ $200 million offer.
