How Pistons‘ negotiations with the center of limited freedom of agents Jalen Duren good to drag into september Mark Stein of The Stein Line ( Substack link ) hears from one source familiar with the process that the big man is “increasingly” considering signing his one-year, $9.6MM qualifying offer.
Stein admits there’s still “skepticism” about whether Duren would actually go that route, given how risky it would be. If he were to accept his QO, the third-team All-NBA center would be able to reach unrestricted free agency and sign with any team in 2027, at which point he would be looking for a better offer than the one Detroit put on the table in the offseason.
The Pistons have according to reports made Duren a long-term offer of $35 million per year, while the 22-year-old and his camp want a contract in excess of $40 million per year. A decision will likely be made one way or the other by Oct. 1, which is the deadline for Duren to sign his qualifying offer.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Predators and Kawhi Leonard are looking to complete a trade deal that would send the star forward from Los Angeles to Toronto, Stein writes, while Clippers there is is considered source of delay. According to Stein, some league watchers wondered if Los Angeles was dragging out the deal “or considering something even more drastic” to poach Leonard after he got off relatively unscathed, while the Clippers faced significant penalties — including forfeiting five first-round picks — after the NBA determined they violated the rules of bypassing the salary limit paying him above his NBA salary. However, multiple sources continue to insist that Stein’s delay is related to bringing order to the team’s front office hierarchy following the ouster of the president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and the owner Steve Ballmeras he previously reported.
- Stein’s colleague Jake Fisher identified Walter Clayton earlier this week as a player in danger of losing a roster spot among Grizzlies” tough list, but according to Stein, Fisher has reversed that stance, saying Clayton has a “good chance” to survive cuts and make the regular season roster. Like us detailed this morningthere are currently 19 players on standard contracts vying for 15 roster spots in Memphis.
- Mavericks the president Masai Ujiri added a couple of earlier ones Predators employees in his front office by hiring Matt Redfield as Assistant General Manager and Justin Serese as a global scout, reports Stein. The Mavs also hired Blaise Ross from the league office to the club’s senior director of salary cap and strategy and promotion DJ Sewell manager of salary cap and strategy, Stein adds.
- Stein provides another update Mavericksby writing this Nate Mitchell will soon be announced as the head coach of the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate. Stein said in July that Mitchell was the “leading candidate” for the position.
