DETROIT -- Pistons All-Star center Jalen Duren is not attending the team's media day Monday or the start of training camp as the contract standoff continues.
Duren, a restricted free agent, is declining the team's five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer as both sides remain at a stalemate ahead of the Thursday deadline on a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer, sources said.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon says he hasn't spoken directly to Duren all summer during the negation process but will be "excited" to welcome him to training camp whenever he decides to report.
"For me, I'm not gonna hold anything against him. I'll be very happy to have him back," Langdon said during media day. "I'll be excited. He's been a huge part of our success. I think he'll continue to be a huge part of that going forward, but again I can't control the different things that he does, or his group does.
"And for me, it's controlling what we can so when he is back, it's bringing him in, letting him know that he is a huge part. Putting him a situation where he can be the best version of himself and help us out to the best degree that he can."
Duren's representatives have made it clear to the Pistons that the standoff is no longer about the money.
Duren feels disrespected by the process, sources said, particularly compared to how the team handled the contract extension of forward Ausar Thompson, who agreed to a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale contract extension with the franchise earlier this month, along with weight clauses in earlier offers.
The Pistons believe they've made a fair offer to Duren, which is more than he'd make under the qualifying offer that would make him an unrestricted free agent next offseason. But Duren would be leaving at least $190 million in guaranteed money on the table, as it stands, and would need a max deal next summer to break even over the five years compared with what the Pistons are offering.
As the previous general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans from 2019 to 2024, Langdon says he has been able to separate the business from the personal side of these contract negotiations with Duren by leaning on past instances throughout his career.
"It's the first time I've had to handle it here [in Detroit]. I was in New Orleans for five years with a certain player that wasn't easy to deal with, either," Langdon said. "So, I do have experience and so, look, I think at these times, we can control what we can control and that's how we operate."
Duren, 22, is coming off his best season where he was named to the All-NBA third team after averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.8 blocks on 65.0% shooting in 28.2 minutes.
However, those numbers significantly dipped in the postseason, when he averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 30.5 minutes and Detroit was eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Game 7 of the conference semifinals.
Detroit has maintained throughout the entire offseason that it wants Duren back on the roster and has rejected all sign-and-trade proposals.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham have also stayed in contact with Duren throughout the offseason, although he was away from the team. Bickerstaff said he won't allow the outside noise to take away from his responsibilities of coaching the team after a 60-win season.
"He knows how I feel about him, and I continue to let him know how I feel about him," Bickerstaff said. "And that's really all that matters. I love JD. I know how JD feels about me, how he feels about being a member of the Pistons, it's positive. I know there's a lot of things out there being said, but he's a huge part of what we do. He's a huge part of where we are right now."
Cunningham still views Duren as a "brother." He has continued to support Duren after going through a similar experience in 2024 before agreeing to a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie extension and has offered guidance.
"On the court, off the court, we went to war together obviously, but we've had dinners together. I've met his family, he met my family," Cunningham said. "The negotiation is between the front office and his representation, so they're gonna figure that out. It has nothing to do with me so the best thing I can do is be there for him to support him, encourage him, not let him get too down whenever it's such a crazy time for him."
