Duren agrees to $200M deal with Pistons after four months of negotiations
Center Jalen Duren has accepted the Detroit Pistons' five-year, $200 million contract offer on Thursday, ending months-long negotiations between the two sides.
The Detroit Pistons and center Jalen Duren reached an agreement on a new contract on Thursday, concluding talks that had stretched on for roughly four months since the start of summer.
Duren, a restricted free agent, still had no signed deal as training camp began. As a result, he skipped the team's media day and missed the first several practices.
The offer and the decision
The club had previously offered the player a fully guaranteed five-year contract worth $200 million, which Duren initially turned down. Earlier in the summer, smaller offers ranging from $170 million to $190 million had also been discussed.
Duren had an alternative on the table — a one-year qualifying offer worth $9.6 million, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, on Thursday, shortly before the 11:59 pm ET deadline, Duren opted for long-term security and accepted Detroit's five-year, $200 million offer.
Season performance
Last season, the 22-year-old center made a notable leap in his career, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds across 70 games. Those numbers earned him a spot on one of the NBA's All-NBA teams.
With the new contract, the Pistons have secured one of their key players for the next five years.
