The situation between Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons keeps getting more complicated. His departure next offseason is a distinct possibility, potentially to the Sacramento Kings. While Duren is a solid player, the Kings need to be asking questions about his cost and his locker room presence.
After a solid 2025-2026 regular season and a rough 2026 offseason, Duren has been negotiating his extension with the Pistons. Nothing has been signed yet, with money and respect seeming to be the main issues between the two sides. And it doesn't seem to be getting better as time goes on.
Duren was initially looking for a max extension around $287 million that Detroit was not willing to pay. For a while, the Pistons were at $190 million over five seasons, while Duren was asking for $200 million. Recently, Detroit upped their offer to $200 million, but Duren hasn't signed the contract yet.
That's where the respect comes in. Reportedly, Duren feels undervalued and allegedly sees himself as becoming a player on the level of Nikola Jokic. Duren has improved by leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, but he hasn't exhibited anything close to the Joker's level of game. Few do or have.
The Kings aren't asking the hard Duren questions
If Duren chooses the qualifying offer after feeling disrespected, he'll be an unrestricted free agent in the 2027 offseason. The Kings remain the frontrunner for his services. That move comes with some significant expenses, particularly if they haven't been able to trade Domantas Sabonis.
Sacramento would likely be signing Duren for the maximum amount allowed by the CBA, which would be $189 million over four seasons. That works out to an average of $47.25 million per season. With Zach LaVine's contract ending, they Kings could afford that. But they probably should think twice.
That puts them back in the same situation they are in now with both Sabonis and LaVine. When it's time to look at extensions for key rookies and sophomores, that becomes a huge problem. Even worse, what if Duren actually thinks he's the next Jokic? That's a whole different situation.
Duren is a good player with the potential to be great, but it sometimes feels like his ego might get in the way. The Kings already have a pair of hungry, cost-effective young centers with high ceilings in Maxmie Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell. Focusing on them would be the better long-term investment.
