Detroit Pistons

The NBA season is only weeks away, but there’s still a big fish available on the open market.

Pistons center Jalen Duren has yet to sign a contract as a restricted free agent, in a stalemate with Detroit over its latest offer. The 22-year-old, coming off his first All-Star season, has been wrapped up in contract controversy all offseason.

On Thursday, one of the likely reasons for Duren’s stalemate was revealed by The Athletic: an offer by the Pistons that includes a «weight clause.»

Here’s what to know about the latest development in Duren’s contract situation.

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Jalen Duren ‘weight clause’ in contract offer

The Pistons reportedly offered a five-year, $200 million deal to Duren recently, which NBA fans have questioned why he wouldn’t accept. According to The Athletic, the Pistons «upped their offer by $10 million in recent days,» going up from $190 million with no options and fully guaranteed money.

As part of that story, on Thursday, The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson and Sam Amick revealed one of the terms of that offer that may be leading to Duren’s refusal. The Pistons added a «weight clause» in their offer, which was reportedly «not in writing.» Duren is «known to be displeased during the process» of the negotiations and is considering accepting a one-year qualifying offer, rather than the significant extension.

The weight clause would require Duren to «check his weight monthly throughout the calendar year,» according to The Athletic. Listed at 6-10 and 250 pounds, the fact that Duren has never faced questions about his weight or durability have caused questions around the league as to why Detroit added the clause, which would be «incentives in the deal.»

Per The Athletic, the Pistons’ belief that Duren has any issues with his weight «came as a surprise» to him and his camp, and the team had communicated its concern about weight after its Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers last season.

Notably, the Pistons’ «lead negotiator» in Duren talks, per The Athletic, is president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who was the Pelicans’ general manager from 2019-24, when New Orleans added a weight clause to Zion Williamson’s extension in 2022. But unlike Williamson, Duren has never faced public criticism over how his weight has impacted his play on the court.

The weight clause added by Detroit could «certainly impact the tenor of the talks,» but at least indicates the Pistons’ «reservations about investing too heavily in Duren and his future,» according to The Athletic.

With Pistons media day and training camp quickly approaching, it remains unclear when a resolution to Duren’s contract situation will come. But there appears a chance he’s willing to pass up the $200 million offer in order to hit free agency next offseason.

Detroit Pistons

Jalen Duren ‘weight clause’ in contract offer

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