Unless you've started ignoring anything and everything related to Jalen Duren (which would be understandable at this point), you know the Detroit Pistons included a weight clause (not submitted in writing) in their latest five-year, $200 million offer to the center. Even so, it's hard to believe that he turned it down (that's a lot of money!), but that's not the point here. It's more about why the team did that in the first place.
We've heard all summer that Duren has felt disrespected by the Pistons, stemming back to when the two sides didn't agree to an extension last year. ESPN's Vince Goodwill said earlier this offseason that the center may have gotten information he shouldn't have, perhaps, like Detroit seeing Ausar Thompson as its second-best player.
The point is, the relationship clearly wasn't the best, so why add more fuel to the fire with the weight clause, especially if you want him to re-sign (and that's what the Pistons want!)? If there was a justification, sure, but it seems like Trajan Langdon is acting like he's still dealing with Zion Williamson in New Orleans.
ESPN lists Duren as 6'10 "and 250 pounds, and while that's not an updated number, it gives you an idea of where he was a year ago.
The weight clause was a bad decision
Hunter Patterson and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Thursday that Detroit's decision to add weight stipulations (subscription required) to his latest offer didn't come out of nowhere, which still doesn't justify it, but puts it into perspective a little bit:
His struggles in the 2026 postseason are an obvious factor in these talks, but league sources said the perception that the Pistons believe his weight was partly to blame came as a surprise to Duren and his camp. That claim came internally after Detroit’s Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, with league sources saying the organization privately wanted Duren to cut weight then.
That seems like something the Pistons could've addressed with him directly (and maybe they did), rather than adding a weight clause. It's not unusual for players to cut weight during the offseason (see Luka Dončić), and while that could improve Duren's mobility and help prevent injuries, it wasn't a dire need.
Apparently, the Pistons felt that way, but given how the saga has played out this summer, you'd think they would have used better judgment. If Detroit viewed it as a way to justify offering him that kind of contract at 22 years old, wanting to feel better knowing he'd be incentivized to remain in shape, then that wasn't the best way of doing so. And it didn't even work!
Who knows? Maybe Duren wouldn't have taken the offer even without a weight clause, since he seems like he's ready to leave Detroit entirely. The Pistons have a delicate situation on their hands, and the relationship may be beyond repair, but the clause couldn't have helped.
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