Sources: Duren is out of Media Day and Pistons camp amid contract impasse

DETROIT All-Star center Jalen Duren was absent from the Detroit Pistons' press day on Monday, September 28,[16] nor at the team's preseason opener as the contract impasse continues, according to sources heard by Shams Charania of ESPN.

28 September 2026: public absence and deadline on Thursday

Duren's refusal to meet with the media and begin training comes on the eve of Thursday's deadline for his one-year, $2.6 million qualifying offer.

What absence signals: process, not just money

Duren's representatives have made it clear to the Detroit Pistons that the standoff is no longer a matter of financial value. Sources say the player feels disrespected by the process, especially when comparing his handling of the situation with winger Ausar Thompson's contract extension, who struck earlier this month for a five-year, $5 millionUS$ 155 rookie-level extension along with weight clauses in previous proposals.

The team's vision: fair bid and US$ 190 million at stake

The Pistons understand that they made a fair offer to Duren, higher than what he would receive for the qualifying bid which would make him an unrestricted free agent in the next free-agent period.

Recent performance: season highs and playoff drops

At 22, Duren is coming off his best season, as he was named to the All-NBA third team after averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.8 blocks while shooting 65.6 percent from the field in 28.2 minutes per game.

In the playoffs, however, numbers dropped significantly: 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game.

Detroit's hard line: return wanted and exchange ruled out.

Throughout the offseason, Detroit maintained their position that they wanted Duren back on the roster and rejected all free-agent trades known in American professional basketball as sign-and-trade.

Current stage: deadlock opened before the deadline

At the moment, the case remains deadlocked: Duren does not appear on the team's public schedule this Monday, the qualifying bid deadline approaches Thursday and the narrative is no longer just about the value of the proposal. For Pistons fans, what is in dispute is the permanence of an All-Star pivot who valued his own performance and now questions how the process was conducted.

Accounting sheet

Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN.[citation needed] He joined ESPN in September 20072019 as a reporterNBA dedicated to the Midwest region before moving into his current role in April 2009.2021 A native of Flint, Michigan, he is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has written or co-written three books: "Wasted", "Ethan's Talent Search" and "All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story".