The Pistons signed All-Star center Kevin Durant to a 5-year, $200 million contract extension.
2026-10-05 11:12
The Detroit Pistons and star center Jalen Duren have officially finalized a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed contract extension.
This signing ended the long negotiations between the two sides during the offseason and also made Duren a top ten highest-paid center in the league.
Durant had an outstanding season last year and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team. He averaged a career-high 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, with a field goal percentage of 65%.
Despite Duren's fluctuating performance during the playoffs, the Pistons' management has always considered him a core component of their long-term team building strategy. President of Basketball Operations Trajan Landon has repeatedly emphasized publicly that the team has no plans to trade their starting center.
Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff has refuted offseason rumors that Kevin Durant sought a sign-and-trade deal and had disagreements with management. Bickerstaff stated that the statements circulating during the negotiations do not reflect the true situation, there was never any rift between the two sides, and management remained confident that Durant would return to the team.
Duren completed his physical and testing on Friday and is expected to officially rejoin the team for practice this weekend. Bickerstaff believes that Duren still has significant room for improvement in outside shooting and rim protection, and firmly believes that this key inside player has not yet reached his personal ceiling and will lead the team to further success in the future.
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