Walker Kessler’s $130 Million Deal Could Shape Jalen Duren’s Contract Standoff with Detroit

Walker Kessler just got paid by the Lakers. $130 million worth of paid. And now that number is sitting in the middle of a tense contract negotiation between the Detroit Pistons and their young center Jalen Duren.

Duren made his first All-Star team last season and helped Detroit post its best record in years. He was a big part of that. But his numbers took a weird dip. During the regular season he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. Then in the playoffs those numbers dropped to 10.2 and 8.5. That drop is exactly what the Pistons seem to be pointing at during these talks.

According to Fred Katz at The Athletic, an anonymous NBA executive said the market on Duren has basically shrunk. “The market has kinda shrunk on him,” the exec told Katz. “So I don’t think you can get above Kessler’s contract. There’s not a single team that’s willing to do that right now. They could really squeeze him and say $25 million a year, but Duren’s not gonna feel good, which means they’re not gonna feel good.”

The Pistons and Duren are stuck. He’s a restricted free agent, so Detroit holds most of the cards. But Duren’s camp reportedly wants something in the neighborhood of what Kessler got. One person who took part in the negotiations floated $140 million as fair. That same person said Duren is “more available and proven” than Kessler and compared his value to Houston’s Alperen Sengun — a guy they called an All-Star caliber center but not a consistent year-to-year All-Star. They added that Duren’s deal should land slightly below what Rudy Gobert got as an All-NBA defender.

Duren also made the All-NBA Third Team in 2026, which gives his camp some leverage. But the Pistons might be betting that the playoff performance dip is a better signal of what he’ll be long-term.

This kind of standoff happens a lot in the NBA. A young player thinks he’s worth the max or close to it. His team points to a flaw in the small print. Kessler’s deal with the Lakers just set a new benchmark. The question is whether that number pushes Duren’s price up or pushes the Pistons to hold firmer.

Detroit has been building something real around Cade Cunningham. They’ve got cap flexibility and a young core. But if Duren walks or forces a trade, that changes the calculus fast. The Pistons haven’t commented on the specifics of the negotiations, but the clock is ticking.