Pistons Executive Weighs in on Key Contract Extension Talks

Pistons have pair of prospects eligible for extensions.

Apr 2, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) runs down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

For years, the Detroit Pistons have been in the sweet spot of having a cheap roster with a lot of young talent on their rookie deals. However, that is slowly starting to change. The first domino fell last offseason when Cade Cunningham landed a max extension. Now, a pair of core prospects are eligible to sign their second contracts.

While speaking anonymously with Keith Smith of Spotrac, one member of the Pistons' front office touched on extension talks with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. Both are viewed as key pieces for the franchise, and the organization wants to keep them around for the foreseeable future.

Apr 24, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) dunks on New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

“Those guys are key guys for us. We’re not the cap-space Pistons anymore. We’re the playoff-Pistons now. If want to keep being the playoff-Pistons, we need to be really smart from here on out,” a Pistons front office executive said. “That means finding the right deal for us and our players. But we love the way both Jalen and Jaden have developed. Look, if we have Jaden last year, we win our first playoff series in forever. We believe that 100%. We’re hopeful we can get extensions done with both of those guys to keep them in Detroit for a long time.”

Given his circumstances, it's likely Ivey inks a new deal this summer. It would be more beneficial for him to table things until next summer when he potentially has a fully healthy season under his belt. That said, Detroit could focus on locking down Duren long-term this offseason.

Though he got off to a slow start under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Duren found his stride towards the latter half of last year. He ended the regular season with averages of 11.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG. While his game still has areas of improvement, Duren has left his mark on the Pistons with his hyper-athletic play down low. As a strong lob threat in the pick-and-roll, he is someone who can thrive alongside Cade Cunningham for years to come.

Only time will tell if the Pistons are able to lock down one or two of their top young talents before the 2026 campaign gets underway.

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