Jalen Duren Declines Pistons’ $200 Million Offer, Stuns Fans – “Who Is Advising Him to Do This Stuff?”

The Detroit Pistons have to sign Jalen Duren to an extension before the October 1 deadline to avoid losing him in the 2027 free agency.

Jalen Duren Declines Pistons’ $200 Million Offer, Stuns Fans – “Who Is Advising Him to Do This Stuff?”

Jalen Duren wants a bigger offer (Image via Sleeper Bucks/X)

The Detroit Pistons are possibly just scratching the surface after finishing at the top of the Eastern Conference last season. To continue their trajectory, they need their young stars, such as Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren, to be the core for years to come.

Any team goes through the same route. While rebuilding, they draft a few young prospects and then develop them into the team’s best players. Over the course of that period, some turn out to be franchise cornerstones while others move on.

The team also brings in veterans to aid the development, and that is how the last few NBA champions have turned out. The Pistons wanted to do the same with their young core.

They signed Cunningham to a $224 million contract extension in 2024. They just handed Thompson a five-year, $155 million deal. Duren’s negotiation has been going on for a while, and they need to lock him up before media day arrives.

The center has previously rejected offers and has even propositioned himself to other teams in hopes of a trade. The Pistons, on the other hand, are hoping their latest offer is good enough for him to stay.

Per The Athletic, the franchise has upped their offer to five years and $200 million. It is double their first offer of $20 million a season. But it seems Jalen Duren believes he is worth more and is prepared to wait.

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Fans tear into Jalen Duren for overthinking his value

When basketball fans learned that Jalen Duren turned out to be a fully guaranteed $200 million contract, they took to social media to tear into him. For starters, fans pointed out that the center proved in the playoffs that he was not worth even half that money.

Rather than accept such a highly lucrative offer, fans felt that this is how players start to disrespect the game. They believe that the 22-year-old might end up facing the same outcome Dennis Schroder or Jonathan Kuminga faced after turning down a major contract. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Jalen Duren possibly believes that he has it in him to be one of the best young centers in the league. That may be why he wants a deal that puts him closer to the team’s top earner, Cade Cunningham.

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Jalen Duren values himself more than Thompson twins

Even if the Detroit Pistons make it clear to Jalen Duren that he is nowhere near Cade Cunningham’s level, the Montverde Academy alum certainly believes he is more valuable than the Thompson twins.

Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson
Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson (Image via NBA Central/X)

In their article, The Athletic added that Jalen Duren is comparing himself with Ausar Thompson and his twin, Amen Thompson. Neither of them earned an All-Star nod or an All-NBA selection. He has both. Which is why he wants a deal that is better than the Rockets star’s $208 million extension.

While Ausar Thompson was the NBA’s steals leader last season, and his brother was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist, that is not in the same caliber as a player earning either the All-Star or All-NBA nods.

Therefore, it is possible that Duren will sit out until he gets a better offer. Or he can take a $9.6 million qualifying offer before the October 1 deadline and hope to cash in next season as an unrestricted free agent.

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