RealGM Basketball Wiretap

24 May 2026

• Jalen Duren Eligible For Five-Year, $287M Max Contract After Making All-NBA

  Jalen Duren had a good night on Sunday when he was named to the All-NBA Third Team for the 2025-26 season. In addition to the honor of being named All-NBA, Duren is now eligible for a 30% of the cap maximum contract from the Detroit Pistons this offseason.

  Duren is eligible to sign a five-year contract with Detroit that would start at 30% of the cap and would include 8% annual raises. The projected total value of that contract would be $287 million, starting at $49.5 million in Year 1 in 2026-27.

  Prior to being named All-NBA, Duren was eligible for a five-year, $239 million contract. That deal could have started at $41.25 million, which is the 25% of the cap maximum.

  The most Duren can be offered from another team is a four-year, $177.4 million deal. That contract would start at the 25% of the cap maximum of $42.25 million, but would include only 5% raises, in addition to being limited to four years.

  Duren is set to be a restricted free agent when the new league year opens on July 1. Teams can begin negotiating contracts with their own free agents the day after the 2026 NBA Finals ends. All teams can negotiate with all free agents beginning on June 30 at 6 PM ET.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham Lead 25-26 All-NBA Team

  The NBA announced their 2025-26 All-NBA Teams on Sunday.

  All-NBA First Team

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
  • Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs
  • Luka Doncic - Los Angeles Lakers
  • Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons

  All-NBA Second Team

  • Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics
  • Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks
  • Kevin Durant - Houston Rockets
  • Kawhi Leonard - LA Clippers
  • Donovan Mitchell - Cleveland Cavaliers

  All-NBA Third Team

  • Jalen Duren - Detroit Pistons
  • Chet Holmgren - Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
  • Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers
  • Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets
• Trajan Langdon Says Pistons Want To Re-Sign Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris

  Detroit Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon said Tuesday the club intends to pursue contract extensions with both All-Star center Jalen Duren and veteran forward Tobias Harris following a 60-win season that ended in a Game 7 second-round loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

  "We look forward to coming together with his representation," Langdon said of Duren, 22, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent this summer. Detroit would retain the right to match any outside offer.

  Duren earned his first All-Star selection this season after averaging nearly 20 points and more than 10 rebounds during the regular season. His production dropped to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs as defenses made targeted adjustments to limit his opportunities near the rim. Duren is expected to be an All-NBA selection that qualifies him for up to a 30 percent max contract.

  "Sometimes that happens with young players in the league," Langdon said. "JD had a fantastic season. He's one of the biggest contributors to us being a No. 1 seed."

  Duren was selected 13th overall out of Memphis in the 2022 draft by Charlotte and acquired by Detroit in a draft-night trade. He averaged more than 11 points per game across his first three seasons before his breakout this year.

  Harris, 34, is entering unrestricted free agency after the second and final year of his contract. He averaged more than 18 points per game in the playoffs, providing a reliable scoring option alongside Cade Cunningham on an otherwise defense-first roster.

  "We hope that we can bring him back," Langdon said. "He's somebody we want to keep in a Pistons uniform."

• Jalen Duren Unlikely To Command Max Contract, Pistons Still View Him As Core Player

  Jalen Duren's disappointing postseason showing has significantly weakened his bargaining position heading into restricted free agency this summer, with the widely held belief around the league being that he holds little to no leverage to pursue a maximum contract from the Detroit Pistons.

  Duren posted just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game on 51.4 percent shooting in the playoffs, a sharp drop from the 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 65 percent shooting that earned him his first All-Star selection during the regular season.

  The 22-year-old was outplayed by opposing big men in both rounds, first by Wendell Carter Jr. and then Jarrett Allen. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff benched Duren in favor of Paul Reed for the entire fourth quarter and overtime of Game 5.

  Duren could still qualify for a five-year maximum deal worth 30 percent of the salary cap if he earns an All-NBA selection, but what was possibly a difficult decision for the Pistons is now less complicated.

  Detroit still intends to retain Duren, though at a lower figure than previously anticipated. The Pistons view his combination of size, skill, and age as difficult to replicate elsewhere, and there is organizational optimism that the poor playoff showing will serve as motivation.

  The upcoming offseason also includes an extension decision on Ausar Thompson, whom Detroit views as a core piece and intends to extend.

• Donovan Mitchell Says Cavs 'Can Breathe A Little Bit' Following Game 7 Win Over Pistons

  The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 to win the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday night.

  Donovan Mitchell finished the game with 26 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. Mitchell was responsible for 43 points on the night, with his teammates shooting 8-for-8 off his passes.

  "Even last year, when we lost to Indiana, we had our goals set on getting to the Finals. We're just one step closer," Mitchell said. "But, yeah it's been almost a decade of running into the same issue. So for sure, I personally, and as a team, we can breathe a little bit."

  Sam Merrill finished with 23 points off the bench, including five 3-pointers. Evan Mobley added 21 points and 10 rebounds, with Jarrett Allen getting 23 points and 7 rebounds.

  "I've been saying all year we have a lot to prove," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said after the win. "We still have more to prove. That's the next part of it, but we proved something to ourselves, that we could take that another step."

  The Cavs have lost in the second round of the playoffs the last two years and have not made a conference final since 2018.

  Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks starts on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

• Spurs Backcourt Trio Of Castle, Fox, Harper Powers 139-109 Game 6 Elimination Of Wolves

  The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 139-109 dismantling of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 on Friday. Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper combined to match franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama's impact, collectively accounting for nearly half of San Antonio's output in one of the highest-scoring playoff performances in team history.

  Castle led all scorers with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Fox contributed 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and Harper added 15 points on 6-of-8. San Antonio's final tally ranked third in franchise playoff history.

  The Spurs open the Western Conference finals Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. The Thunder are favored by 6.5 points to open the series and are -260 favorites (73 percent implied probability) to advance to the Finals.

  "What we're walking into on Monday is a different animal," said Harper. "The experience is great for all of us. But we've just got to have the mindset of we're going to keep the foot on the gas no matter what."

  The backcourt trio shot a combined 23-of-30 from the field and 9-of-12 from three-point range through three quarters, producing 58.2% of San Antonio's scoring in that span. The group contributed nine of the Spurs' postseason-record 18 three-pointers on the night.

  Wembanyama finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks. He joined former Spur David Robinson as the only players with at least 200 points, 100 rebounds and 40 blocks through their first 10 career postseason games since blocks were first recorded in 1974.

  Wembanyama was direct in his praise of Castle, whose five three-pointers set a career high across both the regular season and playoffs.

  "The way this team is built, they were trying to take me away from the rim and just grab me," said Wembanyama. "There's no other way to fight that than just fight it with physicality. [Castle] was amazing. Just the composure to make the late choice and to push the defense in as far as they can go to take care of our strengths, he was great. He shot the ball when he should have, made the shots, and passed when he should've passed it."

  Castle became the fifth Spur in franchise history to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a clinching game, joining Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Robinson and George Gervin. Fox became the first Spur since Kawhi Leonard in 2017 to score 20 or more points on 80% shooting in a postseason game.

  San Antonio reaches the conference finals for the first time since 2017 and the 15th time overall.

  "Having guys who are this talented and have watched me throughout my career, then we get to be in the same locker room, get to be on the court together, it's something that I love," said Fox. "I want them to feel that success from as early as you can get it in your career because you never know when those things can come back around.

  "[I] just give them little tidbits that they can get here or there because they're just so talented. Just giving them a cheat sheet to kind of maneuver throughout the league. I try to add what I can to what they can already do. They can already do a lot of things."

• J.B. Bickerstaff Says Pistons 'Just Don't Quit' After Forcing Game 7 Versus Cavs

  The Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 in Game 6 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

  The Pistons have now won four straight elimination games in the playoffs.

  "They just don't quit," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "The resolve that they have. The belief that they have in one another. They just have the ability to bounce back mentally where they don't hang on to things."

  Cade Cunningham finished with 21 points, with Jalen Duren adding 15 points and 11 rebounds.

  "I just think you got to look at the backgrounds of this group," said Daniss Jenkins, who added 15 points. "I'm not supposed to be in this position according to everybody in the league. I just think we're special. We just want to defy all the odds. We not taking [anything] from [anybody]. We know it's us against the world."

  James Harden finished with 23 points for the Cavs, with Donovan Mitchell adding 18 points.

  "We never really kicked it to that second level," Harden said. "And we needed to get to that third and fourth level. It was never just a consistent flow at either end of the ball, which is frustrating, but can't do nothing about it. We got to start focusing our mind for one game on the road."

  The Cavs and Pistons both won their Game 7s in the first round. Game 7 of this round takes place on Sunday in Detroit with the Pistons favored by 6.5 points.

• Duncan Robinson Upgraded To Questionable For Game 6

  The Detroit Pistons upgraded Duncan Robinson to questionable for Friday's Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

  Kevin Huerter and Caris LeVert are also questionable with a left adductor strain and a right heel contusion respectively.

  Robinson, who missed Game 5, is averaging 11.5 points and 2.5 assists in the playoffs.

• NBA Last Two Minute Report Backs No-Call On Jarrett Allen At End Of Game 5

  The NBA ruled Thursday that officials made the correct decision by not whistling Jarrett Allen for a foul in the closing seconds of regulation in Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. The no-call drew immediate criticism from Detroit's bench and players after Cleveland's 117-113 overtime win Wednesday night.

  The disputed play occurred with the score tied 103-103. Allen made contact with Pistons guard Ausar Thompson as both players pursued a loose ball. Had a foul been called, Thompson would have gone to the free throw line in a tied game. Instead, Cleveland secured the ball and went on to win in overtime, taking a 3-2 series lead.

  The league addressed the sequence in its Last Two Minute Report.

  "Allen and Thompson legally step to the same spot while pursuing the loose ball before either player has possession, and both lose their balance from the marginal contact," the report stated.

  Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff disputed the ruling after the loss. "Allen fouled Ausar -- clearly. He tripped him when he was going for a loose ball," Bickerstaff said.

  Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the decision on the floor. "During live play, both players were going for the ball, and there was incidental contact with the legs with no player having possession of the ball," Brothers said via pool report.

• Jalen Duren Takes Accountability For Play Amid Late Benching In Game 5

  Jalen Duren has struggled during the Detroit Pistons' playoff run and the situation came to a head in the fourth quarter of Game 5 when he was benched by J.B. Bickerstaff in favor of Paul Reed Jr.

  Duren has a PER of 13.4 during the playoffs compared to 25.8 during the regular season in what will likely be an All-NBA award ahead of his restricted free agency.

  Duren took accountability for his play when speaking to the media postgame.

  "I feel I can be better in all aspects of the game," said Duren. "Continue to grind and continue to grow."

  Duren was supportive of Reed and ultimately just wants the Pistons to win.

  "As long as we get the win, I'm good," said Duren. "Obviously it didn't come out the way we want it today."