For all the controversy about Jalen Duren's worth following his playoff collapse, the Pistons could have saved themselves a huge headache by just extending him last summer. At the time, Duren was asking for a deal valued at $30 million per season, which would be a steal now but had not yet been earned in the 2025 offseason. Even with the benefit of hindsight, it's hard to fault Trajan Langdon for not extending Duren at that number following a season where he averaged 12 points per game.
Langdon had no choice but to let Duren play out last season
Prior to last season, Duren had only ever looked like a solid role player. The bulk of his scoring came from plays created by Cade Cunningham and his defense was also subpar compared to Detroit's other centers. In 2025, there were no indications that he would even be worth $30 million per season, which is a high mark for centers in today's NBA.
Last season, all of the centers paid around that salary range or higher were established All-Stars or recently played key roles on championship teams. Duren obviously was not close to either category before the season started, so the Pistons had no reason to extend him as such. In fact, I remember that most Pistons fans initially thought Duren's draftmate Jaden Ivey was the Pistons seeking that amount on his extension, since Ivey had shown more star potential up to that point.
Compare the two players' 2024-25 campaigns: Duren averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds per game while Ivey put up 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game including a shooting leap to 41% from three. However, Ivey was injured before the Pistons' best stretch of the season. That injury and Detroit's ensuing success hurt Ivey's value and he never fully recovered.
At the same time, Duren had a strong playoff debut where he led the league in offensive rebounding and physically dominated the Knicks. Still, even his playoff averages only amounted to 12 points and 11 rebounds per game during a first-round out. The Pistons would have been crazy to extend him at $30 million per season after that.
Duren has played his way into a predicament
At this point, Duren's own massive swings since the 2025 offseason have put both him and the Pistons in a tough position. His regular season was a resounding success to an extent that no one could have predicted; he rightfully earned All-Star status while displaying completely new levels of self-creation and overall scoring. But his playoff decline was just as surprising in the other direction.
Now Duren is caught in an awkward middle ground where he's seeking the max contract unlocked by his All-NBA selection and the Pistons are focusing on his poor playoff performance. A happy resolution isn't guaranteed for either side but Duren has little leverage due to his restricted free agency. Duren forced the Pistons to regret their decision from last summer with his improvements, but now he could be on the wrong end of the negotiation if he tries to be too greedy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google