One remains. Jalen Duren is the last unsigned restricted free agent in the NBA after Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin recently agreed to deals, and his situation shows no signs of resolving soon.
According to Tim MacMahon in a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, the Detroit Pistons have firmly reiterated their intention to retain the center and have no interest in facilitating a sign-and-trade agreement. In other words: the escape route that has untangled similar situations in past summers is closed from the start.
A $10 Million Gap
The problem is numerical and substantial. Duren is seeking a contract with an opening salary close to 25 percent of the salary cap, around $41 million per season. Detroit's offer hovers closer to $30 million annually than $40 million. A $10 million annual difference, multiplied across the length of the deal, cannot be bridged with a phone call.
One option gaining traction is on the table: accept the qualifying offer, a one-year contract worth approximately $9.5 million, and enter next summer as an unrestricted free agent. It's a card a 22-year-old player who knows time is on his side can play.
The Numbers Supporting His Demands
The 2025-26 season was his breakout year. In 70 regular season games, he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 65 percent shooting from the field, plus 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 28.2 minutes per game. All of this with Detroit as the East's top seed.
That performance earned him his first All-Star selection and a spot on the NBA's All-Third Team, two honors that came in his fourth professional season. His interior efficiency ranks among the league's best: among the leaders in total rebound percentage and with field goal shooting sustained by volume and proximity to the rim.
There's also the Pistons' argument. Duren didn't confirm that level in the playoffs, and a franchise about to pay near the maximum to a center who doesn't stretch the floor or generate from the post wants guarantees that performance holds up when defenses adjust. It's the classic debate over how much a modern five with these characteristics is worth, and Detroit has decided to take a stand.