Pistons' Jalen Duren Might Be Costing Himself Millions In The 2026 NBA Playoffs
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is facing scrutiny during the 2026 NBA playoffs due to his underwhelming performance against the Orlando Magic, raising concerns about his long-term value ahead of restricted free agency. Despite a breakout regular season averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, Duren has struggled to exceed 12 points or nine rebounds in any of the first four playoff games. His limited offensive range and physicality issues against bigger centers like Wendell Carter Jr. are fueling doubts about his ability to perform in high-pressure postseason situations. With a potential max contract on the line, each poor playoff game could significantly impact his future earnings.
- ▪Jalen Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during the 2025-26 regular season, earning his first All-Star selection.
- ▪In the first four games of the 2026 playoffs against the Magic, Duren scored no more than 12 points and grabbed fewer than nine rebounds in any game.
- ▪Duren has never made a three-pointer in his NBA career and takes nearly 95% of his shots within 10 feet of the basket.
- ▪His playoff struggles could cost him a 30% salary cap max contract, limiting him to a 25% max or lower if he fails to make an All-NBA team.
- ▪The Pistons may hesitate to offer Duren a full max deal, especially with teams like the Lakers potentially interested in signing him.
Full article excerpt tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pistons-jalen-duren-might-costing-154736065.html","headline":"Pistons' Jalen Duren Might Be Costing Himself Millions In The 2026 NBA Playoffs","datePublished":"2026-04-28T15:47:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-28T15:47:36.000Z","keywords":["Detroit Pistons","Jalen Duren","Orlando Magic","The Magic","NBA playoffs","Draymond Green","Wendell Carter Jr","Jalen Suggs","Golden State Warriors","Rudy Gobert","Joel Embiid","Denver Nuggets","Anthony Davis","Chet Holmgren","Jamal Cain","Nikola Jokić","Bam Adebayo","Houston Rockets","Cade Cunningham","Timberwolves","Karl-Anthony Towns","the Lakers"],"description":"Jalen Duren's struggles against the Orlando Magic could prove costly as he heads into restricted free agency this offseason.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo Sports","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/cv/apiv2/default/icons/favicon_y112_112.png","width":112,"height":112},"url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Bryan Toporek, Senior Contributor","url":"","jobTitle":""},"creator":{"@type":"Person","name":"Bryan Toporek, Senior Contributor","url":"","jobTitle":""},"provider":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Forbes","url":"https://www.forbes.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":226,"height":100,"url":"https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/8otqaZ2gd7Pxut2iOUbQcw--~B/aD0xMDA7dz0yMjY7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://d29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net/images/user-uploaded/forbes-light.png"}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/lGaR3r2wHJu22dnsHhrbSw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTE5MTY7aD0xMjc4O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/forbes_contributor_845/d0f4681db89599b84daba73ab926f261","height":639,"width":958},"thumbnailUrl":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/lGaR3r2wHJu22dnsHhrbSw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTE5MTY7aD0xMjc4O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/forbes_contributor_845/d0f4681db89599b84daba73ab926f261"}Story byPistons' Jalen Duren Might Be Costing Himself Millions In The 2026 NBA PlayoffsORLANDO, FL - APRIL 25: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket while being defended by Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic during the first half of game three of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at the Kia Center on April 25, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. The Magic defeated the Pistons 113 to 105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)Getty ImagesBryan Toporek, Senior ContributorTue, April 28, 2026 at 3:47 PM UTC·7 min readA month ago, it seemed as though Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren might backdoor his way into a max contract starting at 30% percent of the salary cap in the 2026-27.After how he's fared against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs, he might be lucky to get a 25% max at this rate.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_c3iudcaanpfiv65bH1_ { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #_R_c3iudcaanpfiv65bH1_ { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } }During the regular season, Duren averaged a career-high 19.5 points to go with 10.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in only 28.2 minutes per game. He also shot 65.0% from the field and earned his first…
This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at Yahoo Sports.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Yahoo Sports
