Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is set to become a restricted free agent next summer after he and the team were unable to agree on a rookie-scale extension before the 2025/26 season tipped off.
Now in his fourth year, the 21-year-old big man has established himself as a consistent starter for Detroit, opening the season with four straight starts and averaging 41 starts over the past two campaigns.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Duren’s playing time has officially met the NBA’s “starter criteria,” triggering an increase in his qualifying offer for next summer by roughly $649,000.
Before the adjustment, the player’s qualifying offer sat at $8,966,188. That figure has now risen to $9,615,393, per Marks.
By extending that offer at the end of the season, Detroit will ensure that Duren becomes a restricted free agent in 2026 – a move that is considered a formality given his role and production.
The 13th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Duren has been one of Detroit’s most promising young players.
He’s averaged a double-double in each of the past two seasons and continues to be a force inside early in the new campaign, posting averages of 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in just 20 minutes per game through his first three outings.
While qualifying offers are typically procedural, there have been recent examples of players using them strategically.
Both Cam Thomas and Quentin Grimes accepted their one-year qualifying offers this past offseason instead of signing long-term deals, giving them the power to veto trades and setting themselves up for unrestricted free agency the following summer.
Jalen Duren slightly bumped the value of his qualifying offer for 2026 restricted free agency. Details: https://t.co/WJ61ge9Orp
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) October 28, 2025
