Jalen Duren Won't Attend Pistons Media Day, New NBA Rumors on 'Stalemate' Ahead of Contract Deadline

It appears that tensions are still rising in the ongoing contract dispute between the Detroit Pistons and restricted free agent Jalen Duren.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Duren will not be attending Monday's media day or the start of training camp with the Pistons, maintaining his rejection of the team's five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed contract offer. Thursday is the deadline for him to sign a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer, but Charania reported that the two sides "remain at a stalemate."

The Athletic's Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson previously reported that league sources said Duren was "planning on steering clear" of Monday's media day amid the contract dispute. The sources added that the 22-year-old "considered visiting the team's facility as a show of support to teammates and the franchise," but skipping Monday's media day represents "the latest sign of acrimony in these long-lasting negotiations."

Duren was eligible to receive a maximum offer of $287 million over five years, but it sounds like the Pistons weren't willing to go that far. After earning his first career All-Star selection last season, it's clear that Duren has proven his worth, but his disappointing performance in the playoffs created questions about his long-term stability as Detroit's No. 2 option behind star guard Cade Cunningham.

Amick and Patterson noted that while league sources said that the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks "are known to be among the teams with serious interest in Duren," Detroit "has shown no recent signs of being willing to up its offer again or cooperate in a sign-and-trade with another team."

Signing the qualifying offer would allow Duren to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, and sources told Amick and Patterson that he "believes he could land a maximum-salary deal next summer and eventually make up the money lost next season over the course of the next five years."

The Pistons will start training camp on Tuesday before opening the preseason on Oct. 5 against the Phoenix Suns.