Pistons Hold the Line at $35-38 Million in Jalen Duren Talks

Here's the number that has us glued to the phones this summer: the Pistons have reportedly camped out in the $35-38 million annual range in contract talks with Jalen Duren, and that tells us plenty about how our front office is playing this one. Duren is a restricted free agent, just 22 years old, who earned the first All-Star and All-NBA selections of his career during the 2025-26 campaign — the kind of season that made him eligible for a five-year maximum worth $287.1 million. So what to do? The Pistons, per the reports, are unwilling to hand over that max commitment, and so far neither the Sacramento Kings nor the Lakers have stepped up with an offer of their own. We just came off a 60-win season, and holding firm on a young All-NBA big is a bold way to keep building it. Keith Smith of Spotrac and Ku Khahil over at Locked On Pistons are tracking every wrinkle of this negotiation.