Detroit opened training camp with its starting center still off the roster, leaving Jalen Duren’s contract situation as the first piece of unfinished business around a club coming off a division title and the East’s top playoff seed.
Duren remains unsigned as camp opens
- Detroit selected up discussions on an extension after Trajan Langdon said in May that the Pistons wanted to keep Duren long term.
- No agreement was in place by Monday’s media day, and Duren was not with the team when camp began.
- The 22-year-old center can still accept Detroit’s one-year qualifying offer by Thursday if an extension is not completed.
Langdon made clear that the front office still sees Duren as part of the core. “We’re looking forward to getting him back whenever he returns,” the general manager said.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff struck a similar note amid the outside discussion around the absent big man. Bickerstaff said Duren remains central to Detroit’s progress and said the organization’s feeling toward him is “all love.”
“Whatever decision he makes, he’ll remain an important part of this group,” Langdon said.
Production, playoff questions and room to grow
Duren made his first All-Star team last season, putting up 20.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game as Detroit captured its first Central Division championship since 2008. The Pistons then entered the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
The postseason exposed some of the questions still attached to his offensive game. His scoring fell to 10.2 points per game, Detroit needed seven games to eliminate eighth-seeded Orlando in the opening round, and Cleveland knocked out the Pistons in a seven-game second-round series despite Detroit holding home court.
At 6-foot-10, Duren has time to add counters that could change those matchups. Low-block footwork and a dependable mid-range touch would force defenders to account for him beyond the restricted area rather than loading up on Detroit’s primary creators.
Charlotte drafted Duren 13th overall out of Memphis in 2022, but Detroit acquired him in a draft-night deal. He has averaged more than 11 points in each of his first three NBA seasons and posted a career-best 11.6 rebounds per game in Year 2.
Detroit’s roster investment around Cunningham
The Pistons have already committed major money elsewhere this month, signing Ausar Thompson to a five-year, $155 million extension. Thompson, Detroit’s fifth overall pick in 2023, is not yet a double-figure scorer; he owns a 9.6-point career average through three seasons. But he made the NBA All-Defensive team last year and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting after leading the league with two steals per game.
Cade Cunningham remains the franchise’s offensive anchor, with the 25-year-old All-NBA point guard signed through 2029-30. Detroit spent the offseason trying to place more space and proven production around him.
- Isaiah Joe arrived from Oklahoma City in a trade. The 27-year-old guard finished 10th in the league in 3-point percentage last season.
- John Collins signed for three years and $51 million. The veteran forward has averaged 15.7 points across his career and is positioned to fill much of the role vacated when Tobias Harris left in free agency for San Antonio.
Langdon expects those changes to alter the geometry around Cunningham and Detroit’s frontcourt. “We ought to have more ability to space the floor,” he said.
