For much of the offseason, it looked like the Detroit Pistons would trade Jalen Duren.
The discussion over the summer seemed to be less about whether a trade would happen and more about what the final landing spot would be.
It didn’t look ideal for Duren, necessarily, who seemed ticketed for a while to end up with the Sacramento Kings.
But still — Duren wanted more money than the Pistons were offering, and so Detroit explored ways to move him out of town.
It hadn’t helped Duren’s cause that after a great 2025-26 regular season, he was a total flop in the playoffs. The Pistons hadn’t lived up to their Eastern Conference top seed.
Now, though, as the 2026-27 NBA season gets underway on Tuesday, Duren remains a member of the Pistons, and he’s got a new $200 million contract in hand. It was certainly an odd progression to this point.
Why Pistons Wanted to Trade Jalen Duren
The Pistons had watched Duren struggle in the playoffs, and while the center was seeking a major contract extension, Detroit was holding back on its offerl
At that point, it made more sense to trade Duren rather than keep him around unhappy.
“The monthslong saga with Duren was over money, of course, but also power and respect,” ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill wrote in a new article on Tuesday. “A lack of personal touch and a very direct — if not harsh — approach to the negotiations was one of the reasons it lasted so long. Duren’s underperformance during the playoffs — he averaged just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over 14 games — combined with these protracted talks didn’t leave a great taste with anyone.”
Goodwill’s article notes that the Pistons even looked into trades for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant — deals that likely would’ve involved Duren going the other way — but didn’t find any real path to those happening.
Jalen Duren Contract
So when trade talks didn’t find a logical return for Detroit, a team that is trying to contend for a title and would’ve need more than just future assets, they got back to work on a contract extension for Duren.
It ended up coming in at $200 million over five years, which is $40 million per year — and which is also more than the Pistons seemed likely to pay.
“Instead, the Pistons were left with Duren, who was facing the double whammy of big playoff failure and restricted free agency,” Goodwill writes. “For most of the offseason, the Pistons were offering a deal starting in the range of $30 million per year, a slight step down from the $40 million he eventually got. If his feelings are indeed bothered by this process, will the cold, hard cash of $200 million over five years be the balm?”
The money won’t hurt. Duren can also help his cause by looking once again like the player he was last year during the regular season — and potentially carrying it into the playoffs this time around, too.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Pistons’ Jalen Duren Trade Decision Turned Into $200 Million Contract appeared first on HEAVY.