Daniss Jenkins Wants More Than The Minimum After Reported Pistons Contract Rejection

Daniss Jenkins has been an absolute rookie revelation for the Detroit Pistons this season. The entire team has been a revelation for the entire city of Detroit, but Jenkins has been the diamond in the rough this bench unit has needed.

Jenkins, 24, is a 6-foot-3 guard drafted out of St. John's University in New York, but also attended Pacific and Iona University during his five-year college basketball career.

He's earned and solidified a spot in Detroit's rotation through his sudden, but consistent bursts of offense. Jenkins' ability to rise up quickly for jumpers from anywhere on the court, the swiftness he moves with while dribbling, and the way he gets his teammates involved in the offense has slid into a backup guard role.

Jenkins is currently on a two-way contract. This means he's limited to the amount of regular season games he can play and it means he can play on Detroit's G-League affiliate team whenever Detroit sees fit. However, his standout play will certainly earn him a standard NBA contract eventually.

Jan 30, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) dribbles against Golden State Warriors center Al Horford (20) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Jenkins rejects minimum contract offer

Jenkins is averaging 16.7 minutes, 7.7 points, 3.4 assists, and 0.9 steals while shooting 41.8% from the field and 38.6% from behind the three-point line. He's earned his spot on the Detroit Pistons.

Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon and the rest of the front office reportedly offered the young guard a two-year deal worth the minimum salary. The minimum salary for an NBA player with zero years of experience is $1.2 million. Jenkins rejected this deal in search of more money from Detroit.

The Pistons have all the incentive to convert Jenkins' deal to a standard NBA contract that fits. On his current two-way deal, Jenkins is only eligible to play in 50 regular season NBA games.

What happens now?

Even if Jenkins does play in 50 NBA regular season games before his deal is converted, Detroit can convert his deal any time before the start of the playoffs. Two-way contract players are ineligible to participate in the playoffs.

Jenkins is also set to be a restricted free agent after this season is over. If his current contract expires as it is and Jenkins hits the free agency market, Detroit will have the option of matching any top contract he's offered by another team. Detroit wants to sign Jenkins to their own terms and they want him available for the rest of the season. Expect a new contract offer to arrive in Jenkins' mail sometime soon.

The Pistons are currently 35-12 and sit at the very top of the Eastern conference. They play again tonight against the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets at 6:00pm Eastern.