Another year, another Pistons player newly eligible for a salary bump.
On Sunday, Pistons forward Jalen Duren was named to the All-NBA third team. The honor makes him eligible for a $9 million annual raise in his next contract.
Duren was the lone player to qualify for a salary bump from the All-NBA awards announced Sunday evening. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was named All-NBA third team and will be eligible for a supermax contract next season, but that’s contingent on a second consecutive All-NBA honor.
A year ago, Duren’s teammate Cade Cunningham was the only All-NBA player to net the extra $9 million annually after leading Detroit to its first winning record since 2017. Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley got the same bump in 2025, but it was for winning Defensive Player of the Year.
Cunningham was named to the All-NBA first team, making him and Duren the first Pistons teammates to both be All-NBA since Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace in 2006.
The 22-year-old Duren had a breakout season in Detroit, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on 65% shooting for a team that was the top seed in the Eastern Conference before losing to the Cavaliers in the second round.
The Pistons are expected to offer Duren a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer before June 30, which would make him a restricted free agent. But Duren’s All-NBA nod makes him eligible for an additional $9 million per year, which makes his free agency more complex.
Prior to earning All-NBA, Duren was eligible for a max contract of five years and $239.3 million. But the All-NBA honor allows Duren to seek a five-year contract worth $287 million. The 6-foot-10 forward is in the final year of his four-year, $20 million rookie contract, which paid him roughly $6.5 million this season.
Duren, who the Pistons took No. 13 overall in 2022, did not sign a rookie extension, which means his 30% salary bump isn’t automatically triggered like it was in Cunningham’s contract. Instead, it will have to be negotiated.
Despite a stellar regular season, Duren had a lackluster playoffs, which contributed to the Pistons’ seven-game loss to the Cavaliers. In 14 postseason games, he averaged just 10.2 points per game, roughly half of his regular-season average.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon told reporters on Tuesday that the team plans to make re-signing Duren a major priority regardless of his playoff performance.
“JD had a fantastic season,” Langdon said. “All-Star. One of the biggest contributors to us being a No. 1 seed. … We look forward to coming together with his representation, getting a deal done, and for him continuing to be a Piston.”
