Pistons’ Jalen Duren Receives Qualifying Offer

The Pistons have tendered a qualifying provide to Jalen Durenformally making him a restricted free agent, says Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

The transfer is usually procedural since protecting Duren is an offseason precedence in Detroit, and the QO – which is price $9,615,393 – offers the crew the choice to match any affords he receives in free company. As Smith notes, an important query is how a lot the Pistons are prepared to spend to re-sign Duren, who’s eligible to obtain as much as 30% of the cap in his subsequent deal.

Duren is coming off a really robust common season, making his first All-Star crew and averaging 19.5 factors and 10.5 rebounds in 70 video games whereas capturing 65% from the sphere. He additionally earned third-team All-NBA honors and obtained votes for Defensive Player of the Year.

Questions emerged within the playoffs, nonetheless, as his averages slipped to 10.2 PPG and eight.5 RPG over the course of two seven-game sequence in opposition to Orlando and Cleveland. Duren was significantly ineffective in opposition to the Cavs, because the Pistons usually turned to veteran massive man Paul Reed in his place.

President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon stated final week they “really want” to maintain the 22-year-old massive man, however no progress had been made to date.

The Pistons have unique negotiating rights with Duren till the beginning of free company on June 30. If he does attain free company, he’ll be one of many prime names on the RFA market, with the Lakers, Nets and Bulls among the many groups anticipated to have an interest.