NBA Insider Says Re-Signing Jalen Duren Remains Pistons' No. 1 Priority

Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons are still at a stalemate over a new contract in an offseason where Detroit have had to focus on this over building a title-winning roster.

Jalen Duren | May 17, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) and Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) fight for a rebound in the first half during game seven of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

After a brief period of silence, it seems that the talks between the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren have picked up again.

Earlier this week, NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported that Duren was fed up and wanted out of Detroit, as contract talks had not favored him and that he wanted out.

The Pistons have remained firm in their contract negotiations, and now another NBA Insider has stated that the team are still confident that they can reach a deal with the 22-year-old All-Star center.

Hunter Patterson of The Athletic has reported that Duren’s market has significantly dwindled, with his options of joining another team shrinking. Duren has met with the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, but nothing has come of those meetings. The Lakers have seemingly shut the door on Duren after signing Walker Kessler.

“Duren’s market is shrinking and further limiting his leverage in negotiations with Detroit. He met with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings before the Lakers signed center Walker Kessler, though neither exit strategy materialized,” reported Patterson.

“Signing Duren is Detroit’s No. 1 offseason priority, and the team is confident it’ll come to an agreement with Duren. Both sides want to get a deal done that makes sense for everyone involved,” citing a league source.

The biggest red flag in what has been a muted offseason

In an offseason where Detroit was expected to make serious noise, they have instead been uncomfortably muted, and the stalling of Duren’s contract has been a big part of it as they struggle to meet in the middle with the big man for terms.

For the Pistons, you can understand why they are being cautious about offering Duren a larger and more lucrative deal. Following a regular season that showed great promise, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds along with two assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals in 70 games, Duren made his first NBA All-Star team and earned third-team All-NBA honors.

Almost playing like a contract extension was a given and his job was done, Duren faded into the night in the postseason. Averaging 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in 14 games, Duren’s production was far lower than what he mustered in the previous 70 games.

And as a result, Detroit’s front office, led by Trajan Langdon, doesn’t seem to want to give in to Duren’s demands. And rightly so.  They know how to handle these types of situations, whereas Duren looks for the big payday.

Had he performed in the playoffs, he would have got it. But instead, this saga is dragging out and once settled, the Pistons can move on to building more pieces to what they hope will be an NBA championship-winning roster.