Even after two months in the offseason, the Detroit Pistons have not yet come to an agreement with All-Star center Jalen Duren on a new contract
By this point in the summer, the Detroit Pistons are enjoying what’s left of their offseason after having several weeks away from the game already. But for others, such as Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson, the summer has offered another opportunity to fine-tune their game with a more relaxed schedule at play, something that simply isn’t available from October through the postseason.
Since the Pistons qualified for the playoffs with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, their offseason did not begin until May 17 after a tough, seven-game second round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But since that time, both Holland and Thompson have stayed busy in the gym, and the latter was even spotted at a pick-up run with Cade Cunningham and new teammate Taurean Prince within the past week.
Several weeks prior, the majority of the Pistons gathered out in Las Vegas in support of Detroit’s Summer League squad. Cunningham, Thompson, Holland, Javonte Green, Daniss Jenkins and Gary Harris were all spotted in the crowd as the Pistons went 1-4 over their five-game stretch, but for the most part the whole team was in attendance and offered support for the Summer League group, which is important for an organization that went through a decent amount of turnover this summer.
One notable yet expected absence from the Pistons’ offseason gathering was Jalen Duren. Since the big man is currently embroiled in contract negotiations with the team as a restricted free agent, Duren is technically not under contract by Detroit, so he’s been left to his own devices during the offseason as his representation works with the Pistons toward a new long-term deal.
But even after a career year where the 22-year old center finished second for the Most Improved Player award while putting up 20 and 10 each night, Duren has stayed focused during the summer and has continued to work on his game. Recently, JD was tagged in a cut-up video that showed his own work from inside the gym this summer, and it’s a clip series that contained a high-volume of shots from the perimeter.
Outside shooting hasn’t necessarily been Duren’s forte over the past several seasons, so the video shows that JD is still trying to expand his skill set as he enters his fifth season as a pro. The biggest question floating around Duren, however, is the status of his contract with the Pistons. With the franchise dug in on their stance against a sign-and-trade, Duren’s two viable options are to either agree to a long-term deal with the Pistons at less than max value or to accept his qualifying offer and accept that gamble with the promise of unrestricted free agency soon after.
Detroit still holds all the leverage in this situation, so the negotiating process could very well stretch through August and into training camp, but it remains a high-agenda item for the Pistons since they’re looking to extend Thompson before his fourth pro season starts.
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