Pistons’ Jalen Duren declines to discuss contract situation

Jalen Duren went home over the weekend, got a street named after him and managed to avoid saying anything that might create another headline in Detroit.

Probably a wise move.

Duren was in his hometown of Sharon Hill, Pa., for his annual community day when 6ABC’s Jason Dumas asked the Pistons center about his ongoing contract situation.

Duren respectfully declined to discuss it, Dumas wrote on X, adding that negotiations have been “a bit contentious” between Duren and the Pistons.

That silence comes with training camp approaching and Duren’s future still unresolved.

The 22-year-old is coming off an All-Star season and earned third-team All-NBA honors, strengthening his case for a massive long-term contract. But Detroit and Duren have yet to find common ground on a new deal.

The Pistons clearly aren’t looking to move on from Duren. He’s become a major piece of their young core alongside Cade Cunningham and remains their obvious answer in the middle.

The question is price. Recent reports have suggested Duren is seeking considerably more than Detroit has been willing to offer, and his market elsewhere hasn’t produced an obvious alternative. The Lakers and Kings have been among the teams connected to him this offseason.

So Duren declining to discuss negotiations isn’t exactly shocking. There’s little for him to gain by conducting them publicly.

Still, with camp getting closer, the silence itself is becoming noteworthy. Eventually, somebody is going to have to blink.