Pistons say Duren 'will be a Detroit Piston' as contract standoff heads toward Thursday deadline

Jalen Duren was absent from the Detroit Pistons' media day Monday and will not report to the start of training camp, as his contract standoff with the team heads toward a Thursday deadline that could leave the All-NBA center without a contract less than three weeks before the season.

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon opened his media day remarks by addressing the standoff directly — and drawing a hard line. The team will not entertain trade offers for Duren, and it expects him on the roster one way or another.

[Duren] has until Thursday to make a decision. We will be excited to have him in regardless of what decision he does make.— Trajan Langdon, Pistons President of Basketball Operations

He's going to be a huge part of the team regardless of which decision he does make. He will be a Detroit Piston.— Trajan Langdon, Pistons President of Basketball Operations

Duren, 22, is a restricted free agent after a breakout season in which he made an All-NBA team and helped Detroit post a 60-win season and the Eastern Conference's top seed. His most recent offer from the Pistons — five years and $200 million — has been declined, according to ESPN. The alternative is a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer he must accept by Thursday, October 1, or it expires entirely.

According to ESPN, Duren's representatives have signaled this is no longer purely about the money. Duren feels disrespected — in part because of how the team handled teammate Ausar Thompson's recent extension, and because of weight clauses that have been included in previous offers. By virtue of his All-NBA selection, Duren was eligible for a Rose Rule maximum contract worth up to $287 million over five years, according to CBS Sports. The Pistons' offer of $200 million falls well short of that ceiling.

The financial math of the qualifying offer is stark. CBS Sports calculated that if Duren accepts the $9.6 million one-year deal and becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, a four-year max from any other team would pay him roughly $189.2 million — meaning his total earnings over five seasons would reach approximately $198.8 million, less than what Detroit is currently offering. He would also be exposing himself to a full season of injury or performance risk in the interim.

The teams linked to Duren this offseason — the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks — combined for fewer wins last season than the Pistons did alone, according to CBS Sports, which noted the pick-and-roll partnership Duren has built with Cade Cunningham would be difficult to replicate elsewhere.

A sign-and-trade is further complicated by a rarely used CBA provision: under base-year compensation rules, Detroit could only count half of Duren's new salary as outgoing money for trade purposes, making it difficult to match salaries. Both Sacramento (Domantas Sabonis) and Milwaukee (Myles Turner) would have expensive veteran centers to send back, and neither currently carries positive trade value, according to CBS Sports.

The Pistons have been described as 'steadfast in their unwillingness to deal Duren,' according to SI's Chris Mannix, and believe their offer reflects fair market value. Langdon indicated the team has no plans to extend Thursday's qualifying offer deadline. If it passes unsigned, the offer expires and Duren would remain a restricted free agent — but without a contract.

The standoff carries real risk for Detroit too. Losing a 22-year-old All-NBA center for nothing next summer — or watching the relationship deteriorate further — is a significant threat to a young team that just won 60 games. For now, both sides appear to be waiting for the other to blink before Thursday's clock runs out.

Why it matters — A 22-year-old All-NBA center and a 60-win team are at an impasse that could reshape Detroit's core — and the clock runs out Thursday.

Reported by yahoo.com, cbssports.com, freep.com, si.com