When the Detroit Pistons first offered Jalen Duren a five-year, $200 million deal, it included a weight clause, though it wasn't in writing. As Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported, the team removed it (subscription required) on Sept. 30, the day before the center ultimately agreed to sign. It seems even more unnecessary now after hearing one of the things that J.B. Bickerstaff specifically highlighted about the center.
"He appears to be faster and more explosive."
Amick and Patterson previously reported that Duren's struggles in the 2026 playoffs led the team to believe the center needed to cut weight (subscription required), adding that it came as a "surprise" to the center.
When Duren spoke to the media for the first time since signing the five-year deal on Sunday, he acknowledged his mistakes last season and said he used his disappointment as fuel to improve his craft.
Duren wasn't active for the Pistons' first preseason game on Monday (Bickerstaff said the "plan" is for him to get some run in the preseason), so fans haven't seen the improvements he made over the offseason. It's still encouraging to hear from Bickerstaff that the center is moving faster, a sign that his conditioning has improved, which would've been the purpose of the weight clause.
Bickerstaff said Jalen Duren is in great shape
Just because Duren was stuck in contract negotiations throughout the offseason didn't mean that was all he focused on. He still put in work, preparing his body for the 2026-27 season, even though he didn't know whether he'd still be in Detroit. As he said, he channeled his energy into getting better, and it seems to be paying off already.
Of course, the real test will be how he looks when the regular season starts in two weeks. Seeing how Duren looks in the preseason, assuming he will be able to play in one of the final three games, will give fans a better idea of where he's at now versus where he was at the end of last season.
It will benefit him, too, to get out there and tune things up in a low-stakes environment before the real fun begins, because when it does, Duren will feel the weight of his contract hanging over his head.
The Pistons' main reason for including a weight clause in the initial offer was likely to protect themselves from investing $200 million in Duren by requiring monthly weigh-ins, rather than because they were that concerned about his weight. It would've given them some peace of mind, but it no longer matters since they removed it.
Well, it looks like Duren is giving them peace of mind without it, anyway.
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