The Clippers have bigger things on their plate right now, but Jalen Duren is the kind of future possibility worth keeping in the back of the mind.
For the moment, Los Angeles is dealing with more immediate issues, from its front office setup to the Kawhi Leonard trade situation. Once that settles, the team can turn some attention to what comes next - and Duren could end up on that list.
The Pistons center is in the middle of a restricted free agency standoff, and the Oct. 1 deadline to accept his $9.6 million qualifying offer is closing in fast. Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported on Thursday that Duren is preparing for that scenario. One source briefed on the process says Duren is increasingly prepared to play out the coming season on his $9.6 million qualifying offer - with the intent to become an unrestricted free agent next summer - if no deal with Detroit materializes by the end of September.
That path would be a gamble. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported at the beginning of September that Detroit offered Duren a five-year deal worth $35 million annually, which is still a massive payday. But if Duren really believes he can do better, he could choose the riskier route and position himself to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027.
If that happens, the Clippers could have a real opening.
Los Angeles could create $50 million in cap space next summer, and if Duren is chasing the biggest payday rather than settling early, the Clippers might be in the mix. Coming off a season in which he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, he’d bring the kind of production that could make him a central piece for a team looking to reshape its future.
At 23 years old in November, Duren would still fit the timeline of a long-term build. The Clippers could sell him on helping revive an organization that took a hit after violating the league’s salary cap rules. That’s not an easy pitch for most players, but it could be more appealing if Duren gets the money he wants and lands in Los Angeles at the same time.
None of this means the Clippers should chase him at any cost next offseason. But if Duren takes the qualifying offer and the market plays out the right way, adding him could be on the table.
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For the Clippers, that kind of uncertainty can quickly become an opportunity if Clayton Jr. becomes available. Jake Fischer floated the idea of Los Angeles bringing him in on a training camp deal, and it is easy to see why the fit would draw interest after the rookie flashed enough promise in Memphis to stay on radar. The question now is whether the Clippers can turn a first-round castoff situation into a low-cost look at a player they liked for a reason. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Letting Kawhi Tension Spill Into A Trade Standoff
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Around the league, the delay has become part of the story, especially as some observers wonder whether Los Angeles is dragging its feet in response to Leonard accepting the NBAs punishment without an appeal. The Raptors, meanwhile, still appear to believe the agreement will be completed as originally laid out, leaving the Clippers to answer not just for the penalty itself but for how they choose to handle the aftermath. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard Keeps Reshaping The Pacers In A Way Fans Missed
Kawhi Leonard has been a central figure in more than one Pacers roster domino, even if Indiana never got to keep the player it drafted in 2011. His rights were shipped to San Antonio before he ever suited up for the Pacers, but the ripple effects of Leonards career have kept circling back to Indianapolis in ways that have mattered far more than most fans probably realized.
Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac now make up two-thirds of Indianas starting frontcourt, and both arrivals trace back to circumstances tied to Leonard. One path opened the door for Siakam, while the other came from the Clippers side of the Leonard story and helped Indiana land Zubac in a deal involving Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and draft picks. [Read more 🡒]