Pistons Rumors: Duren, Thompson, Stars, Stewart, More
Little progress has been made in contract negotiations between the Pistons and restricted free agent center Jalen Duren, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
As Patterson writes, while Duren met with the Lakers and Kings when free agency opened to explore the possibility of sign-and-trade scenarios, there’s no indication that Detroit seriously entertained the possibility of actually moving him. Los Angeles subsequently acquired Walker Kessler from the Jazz, further limiting Duren’s leverage.
Retaining Duren remains the Pistons’ top offseason priority and the team is “confident” an agreement will eventually be reached, a league source told Patterson. That same source said both parties hope to work out a deal that’s mutually beneficial, and “all signs” currently point to the All-NBA big man re-signing with Detroit.
Here’s more on the Pistons from Patterson:
- Signing Ausar Thompson to a long-term rookie scale extension is another offseason priority for the Pistons, according to Patterson, but it’s less pressing than reaching a deal with Duren, since Thompson won’t be a restricted free agent until 2027.
- Although Detroit looked into trading for several big-name players — including Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Trey Murphy III — the team balked at the high asking price to make a move of that nature, multiple sources tell Patterson. Still, the front office likes the roster it has assembled, Patterson writes, and was pleased with the shooting help it acquired (Isaiah Joe, John Collins, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris).
- The Pistons’ decision to trade Isaiah Stewart to Memphis was financially driven, according to Patterson, who points out that backup big man Paul Reed – who will earn a non-guaranteed $5.6MM salary – will make far less money than Stewart (a guaranteed $15MM) in 2026/27. Patterson also notes that Stewart had multiple public spats with the coaching staff in the playoffs over his limited playing time, though those incidents don’t seem to have factored much into the decision to move him.
- While the Pistons had some interest in re-signing Tobias Harris and briefly talked to him about a new deal, those initial conversations revealed a gap in valuation, a source tells Patterson, which led to Harris signing a two-year, $31MM deal with San Antonio. Detroit, meanwhile, gave Collins a three-year, $51MM contract via sign-and-trade, but only the first season is guaranteed.
- Detroit is optimistic Collins can be a long-term answer at power forward, per Patterson. He’s six years younger than Harris and the team thinks his ability to be both a lob threat and floor spacer should complement its young core of Cade Cunningham, Duren and Thompson.
- Patterson gets the sense that the Pistons are unlikely to make another significant external addition this offseason and wouldn’t be surprised if the opening night roster is similar to how it looks now.
Pistons To Target Norman Powell
Free agent guard Norman Powell will join the list of Pistons‘ targets in their search for another shooter and play-maker, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).
Powell’s future in Miami is a little less certain after the Heat reached an agreement late Monday night to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. The team will be hard-capped at the first apron once that trade is finalized and currently has a projected $18.1MM available to fill four roster spots.
If Andrew Wiggins picks up his $30.2MM player option for next season and Miami can’t offload any other salary, its offer to Powell will have to start at about $12MM-13MM per year, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). At age 33, Powell will be looking for a raise from the $20.5MM he earned this season, especially after making his first All-Star appearance.
Powell became a primary scoring option after being traded to the Heat last summer, averaging 21.7 PPG in 58 games while shooting 47% from the field and 38% from three-point range.
Those numbers would make him a perfect fit for Detroit, which needs another offensive weapon to help relieve the burden on Cade Cunningham. The Pistons also have interest in Tyler Herro, who is moving from Miami to Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo deal, but Stein and Fischer say that Powell could be an option if they can’t acquire Herro.
Other projected targets for Detroit, according to the authors, include Hornets guard Coby White, Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Lakers guard Austin Reaves.
Timberwolves Not Pursuing Ja Morant, Looking At Other Guards
The Timberwolves aren’t pursuing Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the team is looking at other backcourt options.
While it’s technically still possible for Minnesota to acquire Morant, shedding Julius Randle‘s contract — he’s reportedly being traded to Brooklyn — means the Wolves no longer have an obvious salary-matching piece to land the former No. 2 overall pick. Morant will make $42.2MM next season, followed by $44.9MM in 2027/28.
A report last week indicated that the Pelicans and Kings appeared to be the teams most interested in trading for Morant, who was limited to just 20 appearances last season due to ankle, calf and elbow injuries. That same report said suggested the Wolves may have been in the mix as well.
Morant played just 59 combined games in the two seasons leading up to 2025/26, so availability is a major concern for any team who might consider trading for the talented yet enigmatic guard.
They may not be in the mix for Morant, but the Wolves have been actively canvassing the trade market, Krawczynski wrote in a full story on Monday morning. Minnesota previously inquired about Kyrie Irving before moving onto other targets, including Trey Murphy III, Josh Giddey and Derrick White.
Out of those three players, the Timberwolves have pushed hardest to acquire White, according to Krawczynski, but the Celtics have rejected those overtures to this point. The Bulls also haven’t made it clear whether they’re even open to trading Giddey, at least for what the Wolves are willing and able to offer, Krawczynski adds.
Pelicans wing Murphy, meanwhile, is more of a forward than a ball-handler, but the Wolves seem to aim high in trade talks.
While he’s not sure if the Wolves have asked about him, Krawczynski thinks the team should make a run at Scotty Pippen Jr., Morant’s teammate in Memphis.
The Wolves recently raised some eyebrows when they worked out Labaron Philon, who’s projected to be a first-round pick, per Krawczynski. Sources tell The Athletic that the Alabama guard impressed the team in his workout.
It’s unusual for a prospect to agree to work out for a team when they’re expected to be drafted before that club can pick, Krawczynski notes. That has led to speculation about the Wolves potentially moving up in the draft, but they recently moved down five spots (from No. 28 to No. 33) as part of the Randle trade.
Pistons A Potential Third Team In Heat/Giannis Trade?
The Pistons should be “monitored” as a possible third team if the Bucks make a trade sending star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), who reports that Heat guard Tyler Herro could end up in Detroit in that scenario.
The idea of the Bucks flipping Herro to the Pistons in a potential Giannis trade has been the subject of some speculation as of late, but as far as I know, Stein’s report represents the first confirmation that Detroit is considering such a move. If the Bucks do trade Antetokounmpo, the expectation is that they’ll take a step back and enter a rebuilding phase, so Herro – a Wisconsin native who will soon be due for a lucrative new extension – may not be in their long-term plans.
The Pistons are coming off a 60-win season, but a lack of shooting and secondary shot creation to complement Cade Cunningham limited their ceiling and hurt them in the playoffs. Improving in both areas will be a priority this offseason.
[RELATED: Pistons’ Langdon Talks Core, Offseason, Draft, More]
As we noted in our preview of the team’s offseason earlier this week, Detroit attempted the second-fewest three-pointers of any NBA team during the regular season and ranked in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage, even with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson knocking down 41.0% of his 7.0 tries per game.
Herro, who will be on a $33MM expiring contract in 2026/27, is a solid scorer, shooter, and play-maker. He has averaged at least 20 points and four assists per game in each of the past five years and hasn’t shot below 37.5% on three-pointers in any season during that stretch.
While Stein doesn’t go into any detail on what the Pistons would offer for Herro, Caris LeVert ($14.8MM), Ron Holland ($9.1MM), and Marcus Sasser ($5.2MM) are a few possible trade candidates on the roster who will be on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts (Holland’s deal includes a rookie scale team option for 2027/28). Detroit also controls all of its own future first-round picks in addition to the No. 21 pick in this year’s draft.
According to Stein, Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving and Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III are two potential trade targets being frequently linked to the Pistons, but the cost for those players figures to be higher than what it would take to land Herro. Hornets guard Coby White, Thunder swingman Isaiah Joe, and Kings guard Zach LaVine are among the other options said to interest Detroit, Stein reports.
Charlotte wants to re-sign White, but there’s a sense that he could be “gettable” in free agency, says Stein. The Pistons could offer the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (roughly $15MM) or potentially more than that in a sign-and-trade deal. Joe, a career 40.6% three-point shooter, could emerge as a trade candidate for a Thunder team facing a salary cap crunch. He’ll earn $11.3MM next season, with a matching team option for 2027/28.
As for LaVine, while Stein doesn’t clarify one way or the other, he may only be a legitimate target for the Pistons in a buyout or opt-out scenario, since it would be difficult for the team to accommodate his $49MM player option for ’26/27 if he picks it up.
Finally, with the caveat that Stein doesn’t mention him at all in his report and this is just my speculation, I wonder if acquiring Bobby Portis from Milwaukee is an option that might appeal to the Pistons at all in the event they get involved in a three-team Antetokounmpo blockbuster. Portis is a career 39.3% three-point shooter whose $14.5MM salary would fit into the mid-level exception, and multiple reports have indicated the Bucks have interest in sending him out in any Giannis deal.
Draft Notes: Warriors, Mavericks, Lopez, Rankings
The Warriors hosted a pre-draft workout on Thursday featuring five projected first-round picks, the team announced (via Twitter).
A total of nine prospects attended Thursday’s session. Here are those players:
- Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
- Cameron Carr, G, Baylor
- Anthony Dell’Orso, F, Arizona
- Barry Dunning, F, Pittsburgh
- Lajae Jones, F, Florida State
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama
- Hannes Steinbach, C, Washington
- Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa
- Tre White, F, Kansas
Burries is the top-ranked prospect among the group, coming in at No. 11 on ESPN’s big board. Steinbach (No. 15), Philon (No. 16), Stirtz (No. 19) and Carr (No. 20) are all ranked within the top 20.
While Steinbach brings an elite skill (rebounding) to the table, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area believes the German big man isn’t a great fit for Golden State due to his defensive limitations.
Here are few more notes on next week’s 2026 NBA draft:
- Christian Clark of The Athletic weighs the pros and cons of the Mavericks potentially drafting Burries, Kingston Flemings or Mikel Brown Jr. with the ninth overall pick, though he acknowledges it’s possible only of those guards will be available at that spot. Clark says he personally would favor Flemings, assuming the Houston guard is on the board, and writes that everyone on Dallas’ roster aside from Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving appears to be available in trade talks.
- New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez will likely become the first Mexican-born first-round pick on Tuesday, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated notes within a profile of the 19-year-old. Lopez is ranked 13th on ESPN’s board.
- In a story for ESPN.com, Jeremy Woo ranks the top prospects from both 2025 and 2026 based on how he viewed them coming out of college. Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg comes in at No. 1, followed by AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Dylan Harper. Woo’s 10-player list is rounded out by Kon Knueppel, who was selected fourth overall by Charlotte last year.
Stein’s Latest: Irving, Mavs Vets, Brown, Murphy
The Mavericks have been receiving trade calls for Kyrie Irving but have reportedly stood firm in their stance that the star point guard is not available, Marc Stein writes in the latest story for The Stein Line (subscriber link).
New Mavs president Masai Ujiri has stated from the beginning of his tenure with the team that he hopes to see Irving and franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg play together, despite the sizable age gap between them.
The Pistons and Timberwolves are two teams known to have interest in the 34-year-old’s services, while the Rockets have not inquired after him despite some speculation that they’d be a suitor, Stein reports.
Irving is coming off a missed season due to an ACL tear and is still under contract in Dallas for two more seasons. It appears that Ujiri wants to get a sense of how he can help Flagg’s development before determining whether to deal him.
We have more from Stein’s newsletter:
- While the Mavericks are signaling their lack of interest in dealing Irving, some of their other veterans may be more available. Stein writes that Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all players the team is seen as more open to the possibility of moving, with Thompson standing out as a clear candidate to be moved, given his expiring contract.
- After previous reports from the Stein Line indicated which teams were most active in pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stein adds that there is interest around the league in whether a robust market could form for a third team to take on Jaylen Brown in a deal that would send the Bucks star to the Celtics. The Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Hawks have all been rumored to have interest in Brown, but his contract makes it somewhat difficult to find good fits from a salary-matching perspective.
- Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III remains one of the most sought-after names on the trade market, with Stein describing the interest for him around the league as “intense.” The Pistons and Pacers are two teams that have reportedly registered their interest. As of yet, the trade discussions have all been initiated by other teams rather than the Pelicans offering him in deals. However, Stein notes that this is the first time that the Joe Dumars-led front office has been willing to entertain offers.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Edwards, Joe, Nuggets
Within their report on the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors, which we recapped earlier today, Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic say that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has shown “some level of interest” in Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
Based on the wording of the report, it’s unclear whether Irving and Morant were options Connelly and the Wolves considered in the past and are no longer interested in, or if they’re potential targets the club may pursue this summer.
[RELATED: Anthony Edwards Wants Timberwolves To Upgrade Roster]
When we previewed Minnesota’s offseason earlier this week, I mentioned both Irving and Morant as possible trade options for the Wolves, noting that neither player is at the peak of his value at this point. Irving is coming off an ACL tear and will have been sidelined for over 18 months by the time the 2026/27 season tips off, while Morant has been limited to 79 total games over the past three seasons due to various injuries and has lost some of the explosiveness that defined his game earlier in his career.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the knee injury Anthony Edwards suffered in the first round of the playoffs and the way the Timberwolves guard managed to return to action earlier than anyone expected. As Krawcynski writes, the experience taught Edwards that if he’s willing to devote the time and effort to it, he can get more out of his body than he knew. “This is the worst injury I’ve seen him deal with in his career and I’ve been knowing him for almost 10 years,” his best friend Nick Maddox told Krawczynski. “To see him bounce back and have that motivation, it speaks volumes to his faith, what he believes in, and he cares about the fans. It’s like, ‘Man, if I can go out there, I’m going out there.’ I really appreciate him for that.”
- Thunder wing Isaiah Joe had the best season of his six-year NBA career in 2025/26, setting new career highs in points per game (11.1) and three-point percentage (42.3%), among other categories. However, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes in his report card evaluating Joe’s season, the 26-year-old’s improvements on both ends of the floor weren’t enough to earn him regular, consistent minutes in the playoffs. Joe, who is viewed as a possible trade candidate, has said he wants to focus on speeding up his shooting motion and extending his range this offseason, Mussatto notes.
- In his preview of the Nuggets‘ offseason, Keith Smith of Spotrac suggests that Peyton Watson‘s next deal could be in the range of $27MM per year and expresses skepticism that Denver will seriously explore trading Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon. We published our own preview of the Nuggets’ summer on Thursday.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Finances, Marshall, Lively, Thompson
In the latest step in his recovery from a torn ACL that forced him to miss the entire season, Kyrie Irving put his skills on display Tuesday at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina, according to BasketNews. The Mavericks guard offered advice and motivation to the top 100 high school players in the United States, then gave some of them a chance to face him one-on-one in the Can You Guard Kyrie Challenge (Twitter video link from NBA Central).
The team hasn’t provided an official update on Irving’s status, but he was reportedly impressive in his battles with the high school stars. Irving said recently on social media that he’s nearly 100% recovered.
“This mission is bigger than just the basketball court,” he told the players. “I pray that you guys understand that you have a chance to change your life with the game of basketball, to utilize it as a vehicle to take you around the world, to meet different people, gain insight, gain knowledge. Last year, I had a very traumatic injury, tore my ACL. And just to be back out here in front of you guys, it’s just an honor. I don’t take for granted, man, it’s been a long year, mentally, emotionally, something – when something that you love gets taken away from you for a temporary moment, that really defines you.”
There’s more on the Mavericks:
- Dallas didn’t get much value in terms of players by trading Anthony Davis to Washington, but unloading his $58.5MM salary for next season puts the team in much better financial shape, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron states in his offseason preview. The Mavs currently have 13 players under contract for 2026/27 with a total commitment of $161.8MM. They are comfortably below both aprons and roughly $38MM away from the luxury tax line. They also created a $20.8MM trade exception in the Davis deal that enables them to acquire someone for up to $21MM. In addition, Dallas has access to the $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception as well as the $5.5MM bi-annual exception. Gozlan notes that using that space to take on unwanted salary from other teams could be an easy way to restock the Mavericks’ future draft assets.
- One of the team’s most important offseason decisions will be whether to extend Naji Marshall, who will become eligible for a new deal on July 6, Gozlan adds. Marshall should attract plenty of trade interest with an expiring $9.4MM contract, but the Mavs have indicated that they want to keep him as part of their future. Gozlan projects a new deal in the range of the MLE at around $45MM over three years, which is low enough to avoid creating a six-month trade restriction.
- Dereck Lively II will also be extension-eligible, Gozlan notes, but the Mavericks are unlikely go that route since injuries have caused him to miss 121 games over the past two seasons. Gozlan expects that the new front office will want to watch Lively for a year before making a decision.
- Gozlan also suggests that 36-year-old Klay Thompson might become a buyout candidate whether he stays in Dallas or gets traded. Thompson will have a $17.5MM expiring contract and isn’t in the situation he expected when he signed with the Mavs to team up with Luka Doncic on a contender. Gozlan points out that Dallas could take back up to $26.5MM in a Thompson deal.
Scout Discusses Building Around Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks are entering an important offseason as they look to build their team around star rookie Cooper Flagg. They have the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in the 2026 draft, along with a new front office headlined by new president Masai Ujiri and first-time general manager Mike Schmitz.
NBA draft scout James Barlowe spoke recently about the options facing Dallas this summer as they look to add another cornerstone alongside Flagg, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal.
Barlowe points to more consistent outside shooting as a need for the team moving forward. He highlights Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Brayden Burries (Arizona), and Nate Ament (Tennessee) as likely top options when the Mavs are on the board, and calls Brown the top long-term guard prospect, given his ceiling as a shooter and play-maker. Brown is seventh on ESPN’s big board by Jeremy Woo, with Flemings ranked one spot lower at No. 8.
As teams like the Knicks, Spurs, and Thunder have shown, having as many players as possible with positional size who can dribble, pass, and shoot can make a huge difference in terms of injecting versatility and unpredictability in a team’s offense, which is why Barlowe says the team shouldn’t hesitate if Brown is available when they’re at the podium.
While Ujiri has a reputation for valuing positional size above all things, due largely to the team he built in Toronto, Barlowe calls that an oversimplification, saying, “He’s a rule changer instead of a rule follower.”
The Mavs also face a decision on Kyrie Irving, who is expected to be healthy after missing this season with an ACL tear. They could value Irving as a scorer and play-maker alongside Flagg, in which case it would behoove them to draft a guard who could play alongside Irving until it’s time to inherit more responsibility. However, Barlowe also believes that a smart front office would at least explore what Irving could return in trade if it helps continue to build a young foundation around Flagg.
Another option for Dallas would be to look into moving down in the draft, either with pick No. 9 or 30, to continue compiling future assets — the Mavs have very limited access to future draft picks after this summer.
Fischer’s Latest: Brown, Pelicans, Murphy, Kyrie, Sixers
The Pelicans have been “mentioned by various league executives” as one of the teams with interest in Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, NBA insider Jake Fischer said in his latest live stream for Bleacher Report (video link).
Fischer’s colleague Marc Stein previously named Atlanta, Houston, and Portland as teams to watch for Brown, though as Fischer points out, there have been no real indications yet that the Celtics will seriously consider the idea of trading the All-NBA second-teamer this offseason.
With Brown’s salary set to rise to $57MM in 2026/27, any Pelicans package for Brown would have to start with at least one of Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, or Trey Murphy III for matching purposes. Of those players, the versatile sharpshooter Murphy would almost certainly draw the most interest from the Celtics or other potential trade partners (in multi-team scenarios).
According to Fischer, San Antonio had been one of the teams most interested in Murphy over the past year or two, but the Spurs‘ run to the NBA Finals this spring makes them less likely to do anything drastic with their roster this summer.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s live stream:
- While the Mavericks‘ new front office executives have expressed enthusiasm about seeing Cooper Flagg play alongside a healthy Kyrie Irving, Fischer doesn’t “necessarily believe” that Irving will still be on Dallas’ roster by the start of the 2026/27 season, noting that plenty of teams will inquire on the star point guard in the coming weeks. Irving missed all of ’25/26 while recovering from a torn ACL but should be ready to go for opening night in the fall.
- Although Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe look like the Sixers‘ top long-term building blocks, there’s no reason to believe Joel Embiid or Paul George will be going anywhere at this point, according to Fischer, who suggests that Philadelphia is “almost certain” to bring both players back. Embiid and George would be difficult to move for any real value due to their multiyear, maximum-salary contracts.
- Based on his conversations with sources around the NBA, Fischer wouldn’t be surprised if “most favorable” terms become more common on traded first-round picks, since that’s a way for teams stockpiling draft assets to hedge against the randomness of the new draft lottery format.