Jalen Duren’s contract talks with the Pistons are stretching into September, and the center is at least giving real thought to the most dramatic fallback option on the table: the one-year, $9.6MM qualifying offer.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that a source familiar with the process says Duren is “increasingly” considering that path. Stein also makes clear there’s still “skepticism” about whether he’d actually go through with it, because the risk is obvious. If Duren signs the QO, he would be setting himself up to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027, where he could shop himself to any team and aim for a deal richer than anything Detroit has offered this offseason.
That offer, according to reports, has been in the neighborhood of $35MM annually. Duren and his camp are pushing for more than $40MM per year. With the October 1 deadline looming for him to accept the qualifying offer, this is the kind of standoff that should resolve one way or the other soon.
Stein also says the Raptors and Kawhi Leonard want to wrap up the trade agreement that would send Leonard from Los Angeles to Toronto, but the Clippers are viewed as the side slowing things down. Around the league, some have wondered whether the delay is about the team dragging its feet - or even “considering something even more drastic” - in response to Leonard avoiding the harsher fallout while the Clippers were hit with major penalties, including five forfeited first-round picks, after the NBA found they violated salary cap circumvention rules in paying him beyond his NBA salary. Still, multiple sources continue to tell Stein the holdup is tied to getting the front office structure settled after the suspensions of president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and owner Steve Ballmer.
In Memphis, Walter Clayton’s outlook appears a little brighter than it did earlier in the week. Jake Fischer had previously flagged Clayton as a player who could lose his roster spot amid the Grizzlies’ numbers crunch, but Stein says Fischer has since revised that view.
Clayton now has “a good chance” to survive the cuts and make the regular season roster. The issue is straightforward: Memphis has 19 players on standard contracts fighting for 15 spots.
Stein also reports that the Mavericks have bolstered their front office with two former Raptors staffers. Matt Redfield has been hired as assistant general manager, and Justin Serresse is joining as a global scout. Dallas has additionally brought in Blaise Ross from the league office as senior director of salary cap and strategy, while DJ Sewell has been promoted to manager of salary cap and strategy.
And there’s one more move coming in the Mavericks’ orbit. Nate Mitchell is expected to be named head coach of the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate. Stein said back in July that Mitchell was a “prime candidate” for the position.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irvings Return Could Force A Huge Mavs Decision
Kyrie Irving is working his way back from the right knee ACL tear that ended his season, and his return-to-play track has become one of the more interesting moving parts in Dallas. The Mavericks are trying to map out a future that increasingly points toward young talent Cooper Flagg, even as Irving remains an established star whose presence changes the entire shape of the roster.
The uncertainty is what makes this such a complicated front-office storyline. Irvings fit in Dallas still matters on the floor, but his long-term place with the Mavericks is far from settled, and his comeback could sharpen the decision the organization has to make about whether to keep building around him or listen if the market develops around a healthy veteran guard. For now, it is another reminder that Dallas is not just managing a rehab, but a roster direction. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Already Look Right For Moving On From This Young Guard
The Mavericks latest roster move was really about opportunity cost. In the six-team deal that brought Santi Aldama to Dallas, the club sent AJ Johnson to Memphis, a reminder of how quickly a young player can become expendable when the fit is off and the shot is not falling. Johnsons path has already been unusually unstable for someone still waiting to settle into a real NBA role, and the Mavericks made it clear they were comfortable moving on rather than waiting for development to catch up.
Memphis did not hold onto him for long either, flipping Johnson again as part of a separate trade package with New Orleans. For Dallas, the sequence underscores a straightforward evaluation of a guard whose shooting struggles and positional fit never seemed to line up with what the team needed. The front office has shown it is willing to keep reshaping the roster around cleaner fits, even if it means closing the book quickly on a player who arrived with some upside but left before there was much chance to see it. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Could Be Pulled Into Hornets Trade Search For Center Help
Charlottes search for a starting center has become one of the more interesting offseason angles around the league, with the Hornets weighing several different paths as they try to stabilize the middle of the floor. Myles Turner has been floated as one possible target, Jalen Smith is another name in the mix, and Daniel Gafford has also surfaced as a player who could fit the Hornets needs if the right deal materializes.
From Dallas side, Gafford has naturally drawn attention because of the Mavericks depth in the frontcourt and the way his presence has changed the discussion around what kind of big men make sense on the roster. The Bulls could also be pulled into the same broader trade search if Charlotte keeps canvassing the market, but for now these remain speculative ideas built around fit, value, and which team is willing to make the first real move. [Read more 🡒]