The Detroit Pistons ended their five-year playoff drought last season, thanks in part to the maturation of their young lineup. Cade Cunningham agreed to a five-year extension before the 2024-25 season, which turned out to be the right move for the franchise. However, other young stars on the roster deserve extensions, as well.
Both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren had contract talks with the Pistons leading up to the Rookie-Scale extension deadline. The deadline to finalize the deal was 6 p.m. Eastern on October 20. Per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (subscription required), neither player was able to agree to an extension. The duo will now become free agents at the end of the season.
Jaden Ivey to Miss the Start of the Season
GettyJaden Ivey will miss time to begin the season.
Ivey, drafted in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft, was having a career-best season before suffering a fractured fibula. In 30 games played last year, the 23-year-old averaged 17.6 points per game, 4.0 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. His points, rebounds, field goal percentage (46.0%), and three-point percentage (40.9%) were all on pace to be career highs.
Ivey’s fibula was fully healed, but that does not mean he was healthy. According to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN, the young guard experienced knee discomfort after just one preseason game. This discomfort required surgery, which will cause Ivey to miss at least the first four weeks of the season.
Knee injuries are always tough, but they become more concerning when considering the potential longevity issues that might arise. It was not mentioned whether or not the injury concern played a role in the two sides failing to reach an agreement, but Ivey is not worried about it.
“Ivey told reporters at media day he wasn’t ‘really too concerned’ about contract negotiations and was more focused on getting back on the floor with his guys to make an impact,” Patterson wrote.
Still, Ivey will become a free agent in the summer. It is important to note that the Pistons have an option to match any offer Ivey might receive.
Jalen Duren Wants to Be a Piston for Life
GettyJalen Duren wants to stay in Detroit his whole career.
Detroit not coming to terms with Duren is the more surprising fact. Duren started all 78 games he played last year. In those contests, the 2022 13th overall pick averaged 11.8 points on 69.2% shooting, while grabbing 10.3 rebounds per game. He was also a force in the defensive paint as he averaged 1.1 blocks per game.
His shooting percentage, blocks, and assists (2.7 per game) were all career highs for the young center. In the playoffs, Duren averaged 11.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He clearly made a massive impact on the court, and the Pistons would have been smart to extend him.
As is the case with Ivey, the Pistons can match any offer given to Duren. However, the 21-year-old is going to generate a lot of interest on the open market. Despite that interest, Duren wants to be in Detroit for his whole career.
“The hope is to spend my whole career (in Detroit). Everywhere I’ve gone in the city over these last couple years, it’s been love. It’s always been love. I want to reciprocate that. I want to give everything I have to this organization, to this city, to show that I love them back,” Duren said, per Patterson.
The Pistons open the 2025/26 season with a trip to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bulls. The focus is going to be on winning games and getting back to the playoffs. However, the future of Duren and Ivey will be on the minds of the front office as they are both set to become free agents.
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