Jalen Duren went down during the Detroit Pistons’ latest matchup against the Miami Heat.
As the Pistons and the Heat battled through the first half, Duren rolled his ankle, which put the remainder of his night in jeopardy.
Despite heading back to the locker room early before the halftime intermission, the Pistons rolled out Duren for the start of the second half. He tested his ankle, but didn’t feel great enough to finish the game.
As a result, the Pistons eventually ruled out Duren for the remainder of the game.
Pistons Announce Update on Duren
After going through some testing, the Duren landed a timeline on his recovery.
On Saturday afternoon, the Pistons revealed that Duren is officially dealing with a right ankle sprain. The team made it clear he won’t make the trip to Cleveland for Sunday’s game. Duren is expected to be re-evaluated in one week.
#Pistons injury update:
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) January 3, 2026
Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) will not travel to Cleveland & will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain) will not travel to Cleveland & will be re-evaluated in one week.
Caris LeVert (right knee inflammation) will not travel &…
Ankle issues aren’t new to Duren. Throughout the first couple of years of his career, the veteran center had several ankle-related issues. He failed to appear in more than 67 games in each of his first two seasons.
Last year, Duren battled a minor ankle issue early on, but managed to finish the season with 78 appearances. He averaged 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds during year three.
This season, Duren has been playing at a much higher level. Making 63 percent of his shots from the field, the veteran center is producing 17.9 points per game. He is also coming down with 10.6 rebounds per game.
The Pistons have a tough choice to make regarding Duren’s future this upcoming summer. With the veteran center in the final year of his rookie deal, he’s been eligible for an extension. Since the Pistons couldn’t get one done earlier, the price has surely gone up.
Soon enough, Duren will get a chance to continue building on his standout season. For the time being, the Pistons will likely roll with Isaiah Stewart as the starter.