The Detroit Pistons had a chance to sign Jalen Duren to a contract extension at a team-friendly price. If the first 10 games of the 2025-26 NBA regular season are a sign of things to come, then they'll soon be lamenting how much money they could've saved.
Duren is not only playing at a level that could raise his salary floor, but could put him in the range of a rookie max extension.
Duren, who's still just 21 years of age, will enter restricted free agency in 2026. Few doubt that the Pistons will do what's necessary to bring him back to Detroit, but the cost of doing so was considerably lower even a month ago.
Duren is a productive and undeniably talented player, but his assertiveness on offense wavered over the past three seasons and his playing time has been relatively limited.
That came to a head in 2024-25, when Duren played just 26.1 minutes per game—3.0 fewer than he received in 2023-24. With a chance to potentially capitalize on the uncertainty about his future by signing him to a cost-efficient rookie extension, however, the Pistons opted to err on the side of caution.
It's only taken 10 games for Duren to show the Pistons just how expensive that questionable decision could be as he works his way into All-Star territory.
Pistons not signing Jalen Duren to extension may cost big in free agency
Duren is off to a remarkable start to the 2025-26 season, posting averages of 19.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.3 offensive boards, 1.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steal in just 27.9 minutes per game. That alone offers reason to invest heavily in his superstar potential.
Duren's current averages translate to marks of 25.0 points, 15.2 rebounds, 5.5 offensive boards, 1.9 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per 36 minutes.
Duren has admittedly made the most of limited minutes in the past, but the difference in 2025-26 has been a matter of consistency. A season ago, Duren had 25 games during which he scored fewer than 10 points and just four in which he scored at least 20.
Duren has already surpassed the latter number with five 20-point games in 2025-26 despite appearing in a mere 10 outings compared to the 78 he played in 2024-25.
Furthermore, Duren exceeded 15 points in just 23 of his 78 appearances in 2024-25, and had just six stretches all season during which he scored at least 15 points in a minimum of two consecutive games. In 2025-26, however, Duren has displayed the aggressiveness and assertiveness he previously lacked.
He's scored in double figures in eight of his 10 appearances, which equates to an 80 percent success rate—a massive leap over the 70.5 percent of games he scored at least 10 points in last season.
Jalen Duren playing at level that could result in max-level negotiations
Beyond the numbers, Duren has seemingly realized how difficult it is for other players to defend him. He's a physically imposing individual at 6'10" and 250 pounds with impressive mobility and a 7'5.25" wingspan, which has already helped him become one of the best rebounders in the NBA.
The switch that appears to have been flipped in 2025-26 is one that pertains to his capacity for genuine dominance as an interior scorer.
Duren has scored at least 21 points in six of his past eight games, including 33 and 30-point performances. He also ripped off 22 points and 22 rebounds against the Utah Jazz, and 21 points and 16 boards against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Furthermore, Duren has thrown down 34 dunks overall and 3.4 per game—the second-most of any NBA player behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo and up from 2.8 per contest in 2024-25.
The realization of how difficult it is for opposing players to move him off his spot has gone hand in hand with the Pistons' success at 8-2. Detroit has balanced out Cade Cunningham's admittedly early MVP campaign by having a player it can get the ball inside to for efficient results.
If Duren can sustain this level of play across the entire 2025-26 season, then the Pistons may find themselves with another max-level contract on their hands.