The Sacramento Kings could make another push for Jalen Duren next summer if the Detroit Pistons center decides to bet on himself.
Duren remains the NBA’s lone unsigned restricted free agent, with his future in Detroit still unresolved as training camp approaches.
The latest reports are that Detroit want to sign Duren for something in the $30-35 million range but he wants something north of $40 million annually.
Despite Sacramento showing interest in acquiring the 22-year-old this offseason, the Pistons have reportedly remained unwilling to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Kings.
Duren is coming off an All-Star and All-NBA season in which he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, making his contract standoff one of the biggest remaining storylines of the offseason.
The current situation gives Duren two obvious choices: agree to a long-term deal with Detroit or accept his $9.6 million qualifying offer for the 2026-27 season.
The latter would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer and could put Sacramento firmly in the mix.
Kings general manager Scott Perry has already shown significant interest in Duren, including meeting with him in Miami earlier in free agency, ESPN’s Anthony Slater says.
“If you are Jalen Duren and his representatives, I would look at the Sacramento Kings and know they can get up to max cap space next summer,” Slater said on The Hoop Collective. “Zach LaVine’s coming off the books. Scott Perry is completely turning the franchise over, and I will tell you, he has Jalen Duren’s name with highlighter pen, looking at next year’s potential free agency if Duren were willing to take the QO.”
So if Sacramento is in the middle of reshaping its roster, they definitely and could have the financial flexibility to make Duren a max-level offer next offseason.
For Duren, however, taking the qualifying offer would be a huge gamble.
He’d be betting that another strong season will increase his value enough to land the massive contract he’s seeking.
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