Pistons confident long-term deal with Jalen Duren awaits

The Pistons don’t appear to be worried about restricted free agent center Jalen Duren going anywhere.

According to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, Detroit remains confident it will reach a long-term agreement with Duren despite little progress in contract negotiations to this point.

A league source told Patterson that both sides hope to work out a deal that’s mutually beneficial, and “all signs” continue to point toward Duren re-signing with the Pistons.

Duren briefly explored his options after free agency opened, meeting with representatives from the Lakers and Kings regarding potential sign-and-trade scenarios, Patterson reported. But there has been no indication Detroit seriously considered moving the 22-year-old center.

Any leverage Duren may have had also appeared to diminish after the Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Jazz, taking Los Angeles out of the equation.

Keeping Duren has been Detroit’s top priority this offseason after the former first-round pick continued his emergence as one of the NBA’s promising young centers.

Patterson added that the Pistons also hope to reach a rookie-scale extension with forward Ausar Thompson, though those talks are considered less urgent since Thompson is not scheduled to become a restricted free agent until 2027.

Detroit also reportedly explored trades for several established stars, including Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Trey Murphy III, before deciding the asking prices were too steep. Instead, the Pistons strengthened their depth by adding Isaiah Joe, John Collins, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris.

MORE HOOPS | NBA free agents by position