On Friday, Ausar Thompson and the Pistons agreed on a 5-year, $155 million rookie extension. But Jalen Duren’s situation remains dragged out, as the saga started last year. Now, despite Detroit’s front office upgrading the offer, there seems to be no agreement, which has fans worried.

The standstill in negotiations began last year, when the Pistons reportedly made a $20 million take-it-or-leave-it offer. From there to today, the front office proposed a $200 million deal over five years.

“Right now the Pistons and Jalen Duren are at an impasse, and it’s highly up in the air and questionable as to whether he will be reporting and showing up for media day in just 7 days,” reported Shams Charania. “And overall throughout this off-season, both of these sides have been at an impass where Jalen Duren, when you talk to people close to him, feels a certain way toward the Pistons’ respect level for him.”

According to the 22-year-old’s camp, the impasse is created by the Pistons’ tactics. First, they offered a $20 million offer. During the off-season, they did offer a range of around $ 180 to $190 million over five years, but it included “incentives like weight clauses,” according to Charania. Plus, how quickly Detroit closed negotiations with teammate Ausar Thompson also played a role.

By earning All-NBA honors, the Pistons center became eligible for the Rose Rule. Because of this, he is eligible for a five-year deal worth up to $287 million. This would mean his starting salary would have been $49.5 million in 2026-27 and climbed to $65.3 million by 2030-31.

But seeing how the negotiations started, it doesn’t seem the Pistons are interested in offering that kind of contract.

Fans come to one conclusion after Jalen Duren and the Pistons standoff

Last month, ESPN’s Tim McMahon already described the situation as “an awfully nasty negotiation” and suggested it could have “long-lasting consequences.” It seems we are heading down that path after Jalen Duren has not accepted the $200 million contract.

A fan wrote, “Only explanation is that his relationship with the org is beyond repair.”

From the Pistons’ point of view, every dollar saved in negotiation goes a long way towards the salary cap. Plus, Jalen Duren’s playoff performance may have played a role. The 22-year-old had the third-highest drop in points per game by an All-Star who played a minimum of ten games.

Another netizen wrote, “he does not want to play for them.”

But the long negotiations, which have now lasted two summers, plus the franchise’s apparent prioritization of Thompson, have led to a standoff.

“Detroit have had two summers to get Duren’s signature. Pistons have fumbled. At some point a player walks away because he doesn’t feel respected by the franchise. Duren should extend with Detroit but if he wants out he’ll sign his Q/O.”

Another fan had a simple question for Jalen Duren and his representative: “200M is right there bro, why risk it?”

Now, the new $200 million offer gives Duren more money. If he accepted the $9.6 million qualifying offer, played out the season, and later signed a four-year max contract elsewhere, it would result in a net loss situation. T

he reported figure would reach close to $198 million over a five-year period, which is less than the current $200 million deal.

But again a fan noted, “To him it’s not about the money anymore. He feels disrespected.”

Amid this standoff, multiple teams have emerged as suitors for the 22-year-old. The Sacramento Kings have already shown interest in paying Jalen Duren a max salary next season.

Plus, even the Milwaukee Bucks “are known to have serious interest in Duren (both now and, potentially, next summer).”

It remains to be seen if Detroit’s front office will again increase the offer to secure the future of the All-NBA star.