The Detroit Pistons used some clever bookkeeping with Jalen Duren’s new deal to stay ahead of their upcoming financial commitments
Even though Jalen Duren’s contract negotiation can be described as anything but a straightforward process, Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon must be given a modicum of credit for the tact that he used when navigating the five-year, $200 million deal.
On the surface, Duren signed a multi-year extension that would dish out $40 million each season if the contract had flat value across all five years. However, Langdon carefully staggered the value so that Duren’s payout would align with the timeline for other major salary cap expenditures.
For example, Duren is slated to make $40.16 million for the 2026-27 campaign, which ranks eighth among all centers in the NBA— not bad for the first-time All-Star. That season will also mark the final year of Ausar Thompson’s rookie contract, so the Pistons aren’t on the hook for AT’s pay scale hike until the following season.
Coincidentally, Duren’s salary drops just over $3 million for the 2027-28 campaign, so Thompson’s raise will be a bit easier for the Pistons to absorb given that foresight. For the year after that, Duren will receive a slight raise to $38.95 million before crossing the $40 million threshold once again for the final two years of his deal.
Although it is decidedly atypical for a five-year contract to oscillate in value so much from year to year, the Pistons carefully allocated Duren’s pay at each juncture to keep Detroit in a sound financial position. Together, the trio of Duren, Thompson and Cade Cunningham is set to take up a large portion of the Pistons’ cap, so it’s important for the Pistons to find an edge wherever possible, which Duren’s pay structure supports. While Langdon has been criticized for his patience, this is a piece of shrewd business that gives the Pistons a clever way to stay ahead of their upcoming financial hurdles.
On Friday, the Pistons finally had Duren in the building to undergo some standard medical testing for the 22-year old All-Star and All-NBA Third-Teamer. JD was not spotted on the court for live work during the practice, but the Memphis product should increase his activity gradually with Monday’s pre-season opener against the Phoenix Suns right around the corner.
If Duren’s not ready to go for that cross-conference exhibition matchup, expect Paul Reed to serve as the team’s first-string center after receiving run with the ones to open training camp. In that scenario, Tolu Smith and rookie Ugonna Onyenso would likely jockey for back-up minutes at the center position, though Smith has a leg up on the newcomer since he’s been in the Detroit system for a couple years now.
Either way, the Pistons have secured a big piece of their core for the next half decade. At times, Duren’s negotiation process felt a lot like an NFL-style holdout, which makes sense because Duren’s agent, Chafie Fields, primarily handles football clients. But at the end of the day, the Pistons locked up last season’s NBA leader in paint points for the extended future, which further cements their position that Duren is a foundational piece for the Pistons to build around.
