Jalen Duren’s contract talks with the Pistons still feel like they’re headed toward a deal, but that doesn’t mean the story ends there. Brett Siegel of Clutch Points said on the Clutch Scoops podcast that Duren is a strong trade candidate down the line, regardless of the number on his next contract.
The issue, according to Siegel, is that Duren and his camp don’t feel properly “valued” by Detroit. He pointed to reports that the Pistons see Ausar Thompson as the franchise’s second-most-important building block behind Cade Cunningham. Siegel also said nothing has changed recently in the negotiations, and Detroit remains uninterested in a sign-and-trade.
Duren is seeking at least $40MM per year, but his leverage is limited because he’s a restricted free agent. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported last week that the Pistons’ latest offer is around $35MM annually.
Siegel went a step further and suggested that Amen Thompson’s five-year, $208MM extension with Houston could raise Duren’s expectations, especially since Duren was an All-Star last season. He also believes Ausar Thompson will land well below his brother’s number on a rookie scale extension, likely somewhere in the $25MM to $32MM annual range. If Detroit ends up paying both Duren and Thompson big money, Siegel said that would push the franchise toward the second apron in the future.
Elsewhere in the Central Division, Matas Buzelis is drawing less attention than first-round pick Caleb Wilson and new head coach Tiago Splitter, but Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times still sees star potential in the Bulls forward. Cowley noted that Buzelis just finished a season in which he became the youngest player ever to reach at least 170 made three-pointers and 115 blocked shots, and he could be even better with Wilson and newly added center Nic Claxton beside him.
For the Bucks, Kel’el Ware may end up as the key swing piece after arriving in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Zach Kram of ESPN called Ware the team’s biggest X factor in an offseason recap and early-season preview, pointing out that he never fully won over coach Erik Spoelstra during his two years in Miami, but should face less competition for minutes in Milwaukee.
ESPN’s Jason Collier added that the Bucks still have a roster decision to make after the Antetokounmpo deal: whether to develop younger players like Ryan Rollins and lottery pick Brayden Burries or lean on the veterans already in place and chase a play-in push. Collier said the team has experienced pieces, but still needs to settle on a direction.
In Other News...
Bucks May Have Won A Trade Knicks Suddenly Needed More
Jericho Sims has already become one of the quieter success stories out of Milwaukees end of the five-team deal that sent him over from New York, giving the Bucks a useful piece at a time when they were looking to deepen the frontcourt. For Milwaukee, the move has looked better with each passing week, because Sims has settled into a significant role rather than just serving as roster ballast in a complicated transaction.
The irony, of course, is that the Knicks now have a clearer need at the same position they were willing to move from. With Mitchell Robinson gone to Boston, New York has leaned on Andre Drummond as its backup center, a stopgap arrangement that leaves room for questions about whether the team will eventually need a more dependable answer there. If that search heats up, Milwaukees end of the deal may end up looking even sharper. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Still Defines The Warriors In A League That Keeps Changing
A fresh round of roster turnover has made the leagues continuity chart look a lot different heading into the 2026-27 season, with several teams now leaning on newcomers as their longest-serving pieces. Against that backdrop, the Warriors entry still stands out for a reason that needs no explanation to anyone who has watched the NBA for the last decade and a half: Stephen Curry remains the franchises longest-tenured player, a reminder that Golden States identity has outlasted plenty of personnel changes around him.
For Milwaukee fans, the broader point is hard to miss. The league keeps resetting itself through trades and signings, and even the most stable teams rarely stay that way for long. Yet Currys place in Golden State is still fixed in the same spot it was back in 2009, giving the Warriors a continuity anchor that many clubs, including the Bucks as they navigate their own era, can only hope to match over time. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Have An Obvious Camp Decision As Youth Movement Takes Shape
Training camp is starting to take shape in Milwaukee, and John Butler Jr. is already on the list of players to watch after getting a confirmed invite. The Bucks are sorting through the early stages of roster building, and with the team continuing to lean into younger talent, every camp addition carries a little more weight than it might on a veteran-heavy roster.
B.J. Boston Jr. is another name in the mix after turning in a promising run at Summer League and giving the Bucks something to think about on the perimeter. He could still land a camp invitation or end up with a place on the Wisconsin Herd, but for now Milwaukee has not made anything official on his status, leaving one of the more interesting decisions in its youth push unresolved. [Read more 🡒]