Where things stand with Pistons, Jalen Duren: Weight clause removed from offer

That is the day Jalen Duren must decide whether to accept the qualifying offer and play for $9.6 million this coming season, which would make him a free agent after the season. Or, he could accept the five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer that the Pistons reportedly have on the table. That offer no longer includes a weight clause, reports Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson at The Athletic .

Per league sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as negotiations continue, the weight clause initially proposed as part of the Pistons' five-year, $200 million offer is no longer part of the talks. The clause was never put in writing.

The weight-clause drama speaks to the bad blood in these negotiations, at least from Duren's perspective. What was the point of Detroit even suggesting a weight clause? Duren, whatever one thinks of his value as a center, has never been in anything but impeccable shape and takes great care of his body. Usually, these clauses are reserved for players where that has been an issue in the past, but that hasn't been the case with Duren. What was the point of bringing it to the table in the first place?