By Field Level Media
Oct 02 (Field Level Media) – All-NBA center Jalen Duren is returning to the Detroit Pistons on a fully guaranteed, five-year, $200 million contract, ESPN and The Athletic reported on Thursday.
Duren, 22, had been a restricted free agent.
The two sides had failed to broker a deal for months, with Detroit reportedly offering less in part due to dissatisfaction with Duren’s playoff performance last spring.
The first-time All-Star and All-NBA player saw his numbers sag to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per playoff game. That came on the heels of his averaging a career-high 19.5 points with 10.5 rebounds over a regular season that resulted in the Pistons finishing with the Eastern Conference’s top record at 60-22.
Detroit lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The organization reportedly offered Duren the same $200 million deal in recent days, but with the addition of a weight clause. The new agreement reportedly removed that clause.
A first-round choice (13th overall) in the 2022 draft, Duren has played his entire four-year career in Detroit.
He has career averages of 13.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
(–Field Level Media)
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