Jalen Duren’s long standoff with the Pistons will likely result in an extension agreement, but Brett Siegel of Clutch Points doesn’t expect him to remain in Detroit for the entirety of his new deal. Speaking recently on the Clutch Scoops podcast (YouTube link, hat tip to Heavy), Siegel suggested that Duren is a strong candidate to be traded at some point, no matter what amount he eventually signs for.
Siegel states that Duren and his camp don’t feel properly “valued” by the Pistons, citing reports that the organization views Ausar Thompson as its second-most-important foundational piece after Cade Cunningham. Siegel adds that there have been no changes recently regarding the status of Duren’s negotiations with the team, and the Pistons still have no interest in pursuing a sign-and-trade.
Duren has been seeking a new deal worth at least $40MM a year, but his negotiating power is limited by his restricted free agency. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported last week that the Pistons’ latest offer is around $35MM annually.
Siegel also speculates that Amen Thompson’s new five-year, $208MM extension with Houston could embolden Duren to demand at least that much since he was an All-Star last season. Siegel believes Ausar Thompson will get much less than his brother in his rookie scale extension, likely an annual salary in the $25MM to $32MM range. He points out that huge contracts for Duren and Thompson would put Detroit on a path toward the second apron in the future.
There’s more from the Central Division:
Matas Buzelis may be getting overlooked amid the excitement over first-round pick Caleb Wilson and new head coach Tiago Splitter, but he’s still on track to become a star for the Bulls, observes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley points out that Buzelis is coming off a season where he became the youngest player ever to record at least 170 three-pointers and 115 blocked shots, and he might be even better playing alongside Wilson and newly acquired center Nic Claxton.
Young center Kel’el Ware, who was part of the return from Miami in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, will be the biggest X factor for the Bucks, Zach Kram of ESPN states in an offseason recap/early season preview of the team. Kram notes that Ware wasn’t able to earn coach Erik Spoelstra’s trust during his two years with the Heat, but he’ll have less competition for playing time in Milwaukee.
After revamping their roster, the Bucks will have to decide whether to prioritize developing young players such as Ryan Rollins and lottery pick Brayden Burries or leaning on their veterans to make a run at the play-in tournament, ESPN’s Jason Collier adds in the same piece. There’s some experienced talent in place, but Collier says the team needs to determine its direction after parting with Antetokounmpo.