Although Jalen Duren was said to be less than impressed with the Pistons’ preliminary qualifying offers as a restricted free agent, opposing front offices that spoke with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype anticipate the 22-year-old big man will ultimately end up staying in Detroit.
Duren earned All-NBA Third Team honors and finished second in Most Improved Player voting, though his playoff performance left something to be desired. According to Scotto, he is thought to be aiming for roughly $40 million per season on his next deal, while other teams project him to land a contract closer to the “mid-30s annually.”
Detroit has consistently shown a “strong desire” to keep Duren, and franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham has let it be known through league sources that he hopes the front office brings him back, per Scotto.
Additional notes from Scotto regarding the Pistons:
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Although Trajan Langdon, the head of basketball operations, has publicly stated the organization intends to re-sign veteran forward Tobias Harris, no agreement has been reached as the start of free agency approaches on Tuesday. Harris, who turns 34 next month, delivered a solid playoff stretch and is expected to attract interest from “several” teams should he become an unrestricted free agent, according to Scotto. Jake Fischer had earlier reported Detroit was “determined” to retain Harris.
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Former first-round selection Marcus Sasser has been made available in trade discussions, per rival executives who talked with HoopsHype. The 25-year-old guard saw his minutes diminish during his third season and is now entering the final year of his rookie contract, set to earn $5.2MM in 2026/27. Unless he signs a rookie-scale extension this offseason, Sasser will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
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Following their agreement to acquire sharpshooter Isaiah Joe from the Thunder, Detroit appears less focused on pursuing Norman Powell in free agency, Scotto confirms. The Pistons have also been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, though a trade for the veteran appears improbable, as there have been “rumblings” across the league that the two-time Finals MVP would not be eager to sign an extension with Detroit, a notion earlier reported by Jake Fischer.
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