Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons are nearing a decision that will go a long way toward determining the future of the franchise. 2025-26 marks the final season on Duren's rookie-scale contract, making talks of an extension or a new deal in 2026 a focal point for both player and team.
If Duren is going to make upward of $100 million, as the market suggests he will, then the Pistons need him to answer a key question: Who is he becoming as a player?
It sounds simple, but with Duren, the trajectory of his career is difficult to decipher.