On Paper, Jalen Duren Is the Winner of Sunday’s All-NBA Selections. What It Means for Pistons’ Offseason

The NBA’s rolling award announcements continued on Sunday ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, with the release of the All-NBA teams—honors that also have serious financial implications for those who receive them. And no one saw their financial fortunes aided like Pistons center Jalen Duren, the 22-year-old who just made his All-NBA debut on the third team after a breakout campaign—at least, on paper.

Duren emerged as a true second star for Detroit, alongside first-team All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham. He averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game along with 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting 65% from the field and 74.7% from the free throw line. Duren made his first All-Star Game and finished 11th in Defensive Player of the Year voting, along with third-team honors.

The breakout campaign helped Duren enter the conversation as one of the NBA’s best young big men and established the Pistons as one of the league’s best teams. It could also help get him paid handsomely this offseason.

More: Pistons Offseason Preview—How Detroit Can Get Cade Cunningham More Help After Playoff Exit

With an All-NBA selection under his belt, Duren is now eligible for an enhanced five-year max extension to his current rookie contract this offseason, during which he’ll be a restricted free agent.

After making All-NBA, Jalen Duren is eligible for an extra $49.5 million in max salary

Prior to Sunday’s awards announcement, Duren was eligible for a five-year deal worth $239.3 million, per Spotrac’s Keith Smith. The All-NBA selection bumps his maximum salary to a whopping 30% of the salary cap, projected at $287.1 million over five years.

However, only the Pistons can offer him this full package. Outside franchises will be capped at offers of 25% of the salary cap (projected at around $177.4 million over four years and lower annual raises than Detroit’s max offer). And as a restricted free agent, even if another team like the Lakers, who need a quality big man to pair with Luka Dončić, or the Nets, who need any semblance of NBA talent they can find, come through with an offer, the Pistons can match it.

This doesn’t mean Duren is automatically getting a full max deal

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren reacts after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers. — Jalen Duren struggled throughout the postseason for the Pistons | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

As impressive as Duren’s first All-NBA season was, his postseason was that underwhelming. Through two seven-game series in which Cunningham was desperate for someone other than Tobias Harris to pick up some significant slack, but outside a few bright spots, Duren continually failed to meet the moment.

After averaging over 19 points per game during the regular season, Duren’s scoring average dropped to a hair over 10 points and he never scored more than 15 in a playoff game, despite playing more minutes. He shot significantly worse from the field and dipped at the free throw line, and was a less prolific rebounder after averaging a double-double during the regular season.

Duren 2025–26 stats: regular season vs. postseason

Season	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	BPG
Regular	28.2	19.5	.650	.747	10.5	2.0	0.8
Playoffs	30.1	10.2	.514	.674	8.5	2.1	1.2

Down the stretch in the Cavaliers series, J.B. Bickerstaff started opting for reserve big man Paul Reed in his place with increasing frequency. At 22, Duren’s best basketball should still lay ahead of him, but his poor playoff run begs the question: Is this a player worth max money for Detroit?

Probably not at the $287+ million mark. Luckily for Detroit, his status as an RFA means that a team like Brooklyn can’t go over the top with a desperation offer, as the Pistons can still beat any outside offer by a significant amount without reaching that ceiling.

Detroit has also signaled its intention to lock up Duren as part of its future.

“We look forward to coming together with his representative and getting a deal done, and for him to continue to be a Piston,” team president Trajan Langdon said just days after Detroit’s Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers—another disappointing outing for Duren (seven points, nine rebounds in 26 minutes)—via the Detroit Free Press.

The Pistons will almost certainly beat the max outside offer, but could find a number well below $287 million over five years to retain their star center. For Duren, the All-NBA honors still increase his ceiling, after his poor playoffs drove it way down. And at 22, he is set to cash in with at least one more massive contract in his heart of his prime, provided he proves that the 2026 playoffs were a rough learning experience.

Duren’s career earnings

Duren entered the NBA after one all-conference season at Memphis, and went No. 13 to the Pistons in the 2022 draft. He just finished out his four-year, $19,474,944 rookie contract, playing on club options picked up by Detroit in 2024–25 and ‘26–26.

He is set to sign the first nine-digit contract of his career this offseason as a restricted free agent.

76ers guard Tyrese Maxey also benefits from All-NBA honors—just not right away

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey controls the ball against the New York Knicks . — Tyrese Maxey has taken over as the face of the 76ers franchise. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Maxey was a more established star than Duren entering the season, having made the 2024 All-Star Game. After a career-year leading the 76ers in 2025–26, he made his All-NBA debut alongside Duren on the third-team.

Maxey already signed his first huge NBA contract ahead of the 2024–25 season, one that is set to pay him just under $204 million over five seasons. He likely won’t see major changes to that deal this offseason after making his first All-NBA team, but it does set up a big potential payday down the road.

With one All-NBA selection under his belt, if Maxey makes one of the three All-NBA teams next season, he’ll be eligible for a “supermax” extension in the summer of ‘27, a deal that would allow him to sign for 35% of the salary cap with potential 8% pay increases from the first-year salary.

RealGM projects the 2027–28 salary cap to be around $173.25 million, making the first-year of a full supermax deal worth $60,637,500.

Maxey, 25, was up-and-down throughout the playoffs but helped Philadelphia come back from down 3–1 to upset the Celtics. He’s the clear next face of the franchise, and should form an impressive backcourt duo with VJ Edgecombe for years to come.

The Sixers have plenty of questions to answer after the departure of team president Daryl Morey, with the futures (and hefty contracts) of aging, oft-injured stars Joel Embiid and Paul George hanging over the franchise. Whether to sign Maxey to a supermax, however, likely won’t be a particularly dramatic decision for the franchise.

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