Despite the Detroit Pistons holding matching rights on any offer sheet, one NBA executive believes Jalen Duren has more leverage than many assume.
The 22-year-old restricted free agent can accept his $9.6 million qualifying offer, play one more season in Detroit, and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
A rival front office executive told Fred Katz of The Athletic that possibility changes the negotiating dynamics.
“While Detroit might look like they have most of the leverage, given that there are no cap-space teams out there, they’re royally f—ed if he takes the qualifying (offer) and walks next year,” the executive said.
“So, I think leverage is relatively even.”
Duren has played 4 seasons for the Pistons. He has averaged 13.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 276 regular-season games.
He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game.
Execs Weigh In On Jalen Duren’s Value https://t.co/IXNYodsknR
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 23, 2026
