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Pistons Notes: Duren, Jenkins, Cade, Thompson, Klintman

November 17th, 2025 at 11:21pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past two games with a right ankle sprain, Pistons center Jalen Duren returned to action on Monday and completely overpowered the Pacers, recording 31 points (on 12-of-13 shooting), 15 rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.

“He’s just continued to dominate and that’s the only way you can say it,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “The way he’s rebounding the ball through contact and in traffic, getting to the free throw line … he’s just playing a well-rounded game.”

Detroit won its 10th straight game, the first time the team has reeled off that many victories in a row since 2008, per the NBA (via Twitter). Duren discussed the achievement after the game, according to Sankofa (Twitter video link).

“It’s the work we put in, I think it’s the summer work that we’ve put in. Obviously camaraderie and I think culture, honesty everything plays a part in it. It’s still early in the season, we have a long, long way to go,” Duren said.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

  • Duren also discussed his growth as a leader, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I’ve grown a lot,” Duren said. “ … Everybody holds everybody accountable. We’re not the type of team where it’s one guy dictating everything.”
  • Daniss Jenkins, who was nominated for the Player of the Week award in the Eastern Conference, had another huge game on Monday, recording a career-high 26 points to go along with eight assists. The second-year guard, on a two-way contract, has thrived over the past handful of games amid backcourt injuries.
  • Speaking of injuries, star guard Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game with a left hip contusion, while starting forward Ausar Thompson missed his fourth straight due to a right ankle sprain. Both players were listed as questionable before being ruled out, and Bickerstaff says they’re “trending in the right direction,” Patterson tweets.
  • Second-year forward Bobi Klintman is expected to miss a “little bit of time” with a left ankle sprain, Bickerstaff told reporters, including Sankofa (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a second-round pick in last year’s draft (37th overall).
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Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Injuries, Harris, Jenkins, Green

November 11th, 2025 at 8:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cade Cunningham, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, scored a career-high 46 points in the Pistons’ wild 137-135 overtime win over the Wizards on Tuesday. With a handful of regulars sitting out, Cunningham attempted 45 field goals and made 14. He went 16-of-18 from the foul line.

Cunningham also recorded his first triple-double of the season — he contributed 11 assists, 12 rebounds, five steals and two blocks, becoming the first player in NBA history with those numbers in a single game since the league began tracking steals and blocks in 1973/74, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link).

Cunningham also took a hard fall in the fourth quarter when he was fouled by Wizards forward Cam Whitmore but he stayed in the game, which was the Pistons’ seventh straight win.

“I didn’t like the way that it happened,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Whitmore’s foul, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “When you take a guy out of the air like that, you don’t walk up on him. I thought (the officials) could have done a better job of controlling that situation. … It shows the courage of Cade, the resilience of Cade, the want to not let his teammates down. He could’ve stayed in the back, very easily, with what he was going through. But he didn’t want to give up. He wanted to continue to fight even when we were down, and he led us to the victory.”

Here’s more on the Pistons:

  • Detroit played without Ausar Thompson (right ankle), Tobias Harris (right ankle), Jaden Ivey (right knee), Isaiah Stewart (left ankle), Caris LeVert (left knee) and Marcus Sasser (right hip). Harris has missed five consecutive games. “It’s a high ankle sprain and he’s progressing,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s just those things that take a little longer than you would like, but he’s progressing day to day. We’re hopeful he’ll be back soon.”  Harris and Thompson are listed as out against Chicago on Wednesday, while Stewart is doubtful, Patterson tweets.
  • Two-way player Daniss Jenkins logged 34 minutes and finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists in what was just his 13th career NBA game. Jenkins sent the game into overtime on a corner three-pointer in the final second of regulation. “You dream of stuff like this,” Jenkins told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “To come out and really hit that type of shot, I didn’t know what to do. I was just filled with a lot of joy and excitement and just congratulating myself, staying true to the journey, staying true to everything. I have to practice what I preach. This life is a marathon, everything is a marathon. My journey is a marathon.”
  • Due to the injuries, Javonte Green made his first start with the Pistons, notching his first double-double of the season and second of his career with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 38 minutes. Detroit signed Green, who played for New Orleans and Cleveland last season, to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal in the summer. “He blocked [two] threes, which is hard to do…Again, It’s top to bottom. These guys care about winning, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win. [Green] knows who he is and understands how he impacts winning,” Bickerstaff said.
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Central Notes: Pistons, Thompson, Giannis, Middleton, Jones

October 21st, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Having not agreed to terms with center Jalen Duren or guard Jaden Ivey ahead of Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions, the Pistons now have an eventful offseason on tap for 2026, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required).

As Sankofa notes, besides entering restricted free agency with Duren and Ivey, Detroit will also have to deal with Tobias Harris‘ unrestricted free agency — the veteran forward won’t become extension-eligible prior to reaching the open market. Additionally, 2023 lottery pick Ausar Thompson will become eligible for a rookie scale extension with his own next July, so the team may be negotiating with him at the same time as it tries to resolve Duren’s and Ivey’s contract situations.

While Duren and Ivey should do very well for themselves in free agency if they have strong seasons in 2025/26, Thompson has the tools to earn the most lucrative contract of the trio if he has a breakout year after a healthy offseason. Teammate Cade Cunningham is confident about Thompson’s chances to have a big third season, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic details.

“Ausar had a great summer,” Cunningham said in September. “I think he’s really going to make a lot of noise this year. He’s going to wake a lot of people up in a loud way.”

“I don’t think about (having a breakout season), but if my mentality is where I want it to be every single game, then I should be able to do that,” Thompson said.

We have more from around the Central Division:

  • In a separate story for The Detroit Free Press (subscription required), Sankofa takes a closer look at what the Pistons‘ rotation will look like without Ivey to open the season, exploring whether two-way player Daniss Jenkins has a chance to earn regular minutes and considering whether spacing or power forward depth will be an issue for the team.
  • Speaking about how important his legacy is to him, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he’s solely focused on winning rather than “stats” and that he doesn’t consider himself to be in the same tier as all-time NBA greats like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — at least not yet. “That’s the goal,” Antetokounmpo said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’m not there yet. They’re like top 10 all-time. I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I’m going to be there.”
  • Wizards forward Khris Middleton will be returning to Milwaukee on Wednesday for the first time as an opponent since the Bucks traded him at last season’s deadline. As Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network relays (via Twitter), Middleton expects it to be an “emotional” night. Antetokounmpo, Middleton’s longtime teammate, echoed that sentiment. “I think the most important thing, he should get the warmest welcome ever,” Giannis said (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “When he comes here and he sees the tribute video, he should be in tears crying before the game. I cannot explain how much Khris means to this team. I cannot explain how much Khris means to me. … That’s my brother for life. We’ve done incredible things together, so I cannot wait to see him tear up on Wednesday.”
  • Noe Padilla and Ryan Murphy of The Indianapolis Star share some additional details on Kam Jones‘ Monday arrest, writing that the rookie guard told police he was “running late for practice for the Indiana Pacers” when he was pulled over for erratic driving. Jones, who allegedly didn’t comply for several minutes when police tried to stop him, said that he didn’t realize right away that he was being pulled over.
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Daniss Jenkins Re-Signs With Pistons On Two-Way Deal

August 3rd, 2025 at 10:25am CST by Rory Maher

Guard Daniss Jenkins has re-signed with the Pistons on a two-way contract, according to the official transactions log at NBA.com.

The news was first reported by Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Detroit made Jenkins a restricted free agent at the end of June when it tendered him a two-way qualifying offer, which is equivalent to a one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion ($85,300) guaranteed. Jenkins may simply have accepted the QO.

The 6’3″ guard had a well-traveled run through college, playing for the Pacific Tigers, the Iona Gaels and the St. John’s Red Storm. He signed a two-way contract with the Pistons last summer after going undrafted.

While Jenkins’ NBA contributions during his rookie season were very limited – seven appearances for 23 total minutes – he played a significant role with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, averaging 18.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 47 games (35.7 minutes per contest). He posted a shooting line of .427/.331/.768 with the Cruise.

In five games during the Las Vegas Summer League last month, Jenkins thrived, averaging 14.0 PPG, 5.4 APG, 2.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .449/.421/.783 shooting in just 22.6 MPG.

Jenkins, who was named to the All-NBA G League Rookie Team in 2024/25, will turn 24 years old in a couple weeks. As our tracker shows, he will fill Detroit’s third and final two-way spot, joining Tolu Smith and Colby Jones.

Jenkins will earn $636,435 in 2025/26, half of the rookie minimum, if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee date in January. He is eligible to appear in up to 50 games for the Pistons.

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Suns’ Gillepsie, Lakers’ Koloko Among Two-Way Players Receiving QOs

June 29th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

A series of players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts have received qualifying offers from their respective teams, making them free agents, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Those players are as follows (all links go to Twitter):

In each case, the player’s qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.

While a rival team could technically sign any of these players to an offer sheet during free agency, we essentially never see that happen with two-way free agents. Most of them end up either accepting their two-way QOs or agreeing to new standard contracts with their current teams.

Gillespie, who turned 26 on Wednesday, is among the players who made a strong case for a promotion to a standard contract this past season. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game for Phoenix across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.

Koloko (2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 37 games), Vukcevic (9.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and .496/.373/.776 shooting in 35 games), and Wallace (5.4 PPG and 2.6 APG in 31 games) also played rotation minutes for their respective clubs in 2024/25.

Sunday is the deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to players who are eligible for restricted free agency.

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G League’s All-Defensive, All-Rookie Teams Unveiled

April 17th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has officially announced (via Twitter) the G League’s All-Defensive Team for the 2024/25 season. Here’s the full five-player list:

All-NBA G League Defensive Team

The top rookies of the NBAGL season were also unveiled on Thursday (Twitter link). They are as follows:

All-NBA G League Rookie Team

Key, who was recently promoted to a standard contract with Golden State, was named the NBAGL’s Defensive Player of the Year, while Alexander won Rookie of the Year. Badji, who recently signed with a Spanish club, and Nogues, who has declared for the 2025 NBA draft, finished second and third in DPOY voting, respectively. Jones Garcia was the runner-up for ROY, with Young finishing third.

As our tracker shows, Alexander, Jenkins, Young and Dennis are on two-way contracts with their respective NBA clubs.

Journeyman center Brown also earned a spot on the All-NBA G League Second Team, while Alexander made the Third Team.

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Central Notes: Livingston, Holland, Klintman, Buzelis, Tshiebwe, Jackson, Trent Jr.

July 21st, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks lost their first four Summer League games in Las Vegas but 2023 second-round pick Chris Livingston has been a bright spot, averaging 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.1 minutes per game, Eric Nehm of The Athletic notes.

The 6’6” Livingston is preparing to play any of the frontcourt positions, including center, after seeing just 90 minutes of NBA action as a rookie.

“It’s a fight, you know what I’m saying? I’ve been working,” he said. “Trying to get in the best shape of my life, that’s what I’m going to do. Working on my skill development, my shot. My shot’s always been there, but just speeding my shot up. Being ready to shoot, changing my mindset when it comes to that.”

We have more from the Central Division:

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Pistons Sign Ron Holland To Rookie Contract

July 6th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have signed No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland to his rookie scale contract, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

[RELATED: 2024 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

Holland had an up-and-down season for the G League Ignite in 2023/24, filling up the stat sheets with 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game in 29 outings, but struggling with both his outside shot (.237 3PT%) and turnovers (3.2 per game) for the last-place team.

Viewed last fall as a potential contender for the No. 1 overall pick, Holland saw his stock dip a little and was considered a candidate to fall out of the top 10 on draft night. However, the Pistons – who were linked more frequently to his Ignite teammate Matas Buzelis in the weeks leading up to the draft – made Holland their first pick in the Trajan Langdon era.

If, as expected, he received the maximum rookie contract for the No. 5 pick, Holland will make approximately $8.25MM as a rookie and about $37.46MM across four years, assuming his third- and fourth-year team options are eventually exercised.

The Pistons also officially signed undrafted rookie Daniss Jenkins to a two-way contract, per the NBA’s transaction log. Jenkins’ agreement with Detroit was reported last Wednesday, shortly after the second round of the draft concluded.

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Daniss Jenkins Signing Two-Way Deal With Pistons

June 27th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons have agreed to a two-way contract with undrafted St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

The 6’3″ guard enjoyed a well-traveled run through college, playing for the Pacific Tigers, the Iona Gaels and the St. John’s Red Storm.

In 2023/24 during an All-Big East season with St. Johns, Jenkins averaged 14.9 points per game on shooting splits of .446/.354/.851. He also dished out 5.4 assists, pulled down 3.5 boards, swiped 1.6 steals, and blocked 0.5 shots across his 33 contests for the club, all starts. He was a 2022/23 All-MAAC player during his lone season at Iona.

The Pistons have a pair of two-way players from last season – Buddy Boeheim and Tosan Evbuomwan – under contract on deals that cover the 2024/25 season, so Jenkins figures to fill the third and final two-way slot on the roster, though the team could make more changes as the offseason progresses.

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Draft Workouts: Spurs, Suns, Pacers, Blazers, Lakers, Wolves, Thomas

June 20th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs, who are widely expected to draft at least one guard next Wednesday, recently worked out both Stephon Castle of UConn and Devin Carter of Providence, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As we relayed on Wednesday, recent mock drafts from ESPN and Bleacher Report both have San Antonio drafting Castle at No. 4, and the team is said to be high on Carter as well. Iko confirms as much, writing that the Spurs have “strong interest” in Carter, Castle, and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, with Carter’s private workout “resonating” among the team’s decision-makers.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news from around the NBA:

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