We should be sitting right in the calm before the league storm, as training camps are set to open in just a few days, but the ongoing restricted free-agent saga between the Detroit Pistons and star center Jalen Duren has reignited the NBA trade rumor mill here at a normally quiet time.
But with eight days to go before Duren will have to decide whether to sign the one-year qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, the drama has been amped up, and if the Pistons think he might truly go that route, they will have more incentive to trade him in the coming days. We’ve been saying right along that this will end with Duren re-signing, even if grudgingly, with Detroit, but the closer we get to October, the more it is possible we could be proven wrong on that.
Jalen Duren Questions Aplenty
But let’s look at some questions about this situation.
What is Duren being offered?
The Pistons’ current offer has landed at about the number most assumed it would land: five years, $200 million. That’s according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who said on Monday, “Over the last several weeks been kind of quiet on this front. The sides have picked up communication. And I am told right now the Pistons offer to Jalen Duren is $200 million over five years.”
That is a healthy amount for Duren, especially given his struggles in last year’s postseason. He did make an All-NBA team, which makes him eligible for a max deal at 30% of the cap, or $287 million over five years. Duren wanted the Pistons to give him that contract, and is apparently embittered that they did not.
What would it cost Jalen Duren to take the qualifying offer?
One reason the Pistons are holding firm is that Duren would have to play on a one-year, $9.6 million contract next season, and that would be costly to him. Under the Pistons’ current offer, his contract would start at nearly $35 million. So, he would cost himself $25 million for 2026-27.
If he signed a max free-agent deal with another team next summer, he could get four years and almost $190 million. So, in total he would be at about $200 million over five years–right about what the Pistons are offering. But he would be gambling that there is a team that would have that money for him on the market, and that he would stay healthy this season.
What would Jalen Duren’s current Pistons offer look like vs. taking the qualifying offer and signing with another team next year?
If Duren takes $9.6 million this year and plays one season with the Pistons, he could sign a max deal elsewhere, but it would start at no more than 25% of the cap. The projected cap is $176 million, which starts his contract at $44 million. His current offer starts at about $34.4 million.
| Pistons offer | QO + Free Agency | |
| 2026-27 | $34.4 million | $9.6 million |
| 2027-28 | $37.2 million | $44 million |
| 2028-29 | $39.9 million | $46.2 million |
| 2029-30 | $42.7 million | $48.4 million |
| 2030-31 | $45.4 million | $50.6 million |
Could the Pistons trade Jalen Duren now?
Yes, and that is why you’re hearing about teams like Milwaukee and Sacramento–teams that have solid centers available on the trade market. The Pistons could do a sign-and-trade in which Duren gets up to the max, and the Pistons could take back players (Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner) and draft capital in return.
But that opportunity ends once Duren signs the qualifying offer, which is why October 1 is pretty much a deadline for this to get settled.
NBA Trade Rumors: Eyes on the Hornets
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported this week that there have been flirtations between the Hornets and the Hawks on a trade, with Dorian Finney-Smith possibly heading to Atlanta. That is something to watch, but we recently spoke to an Eastern Conference executive who pointed out that the Hornets are a team to watch on the trade market all season.
Charlotte is trying to remake the team around Kon Kneuppel and Brandon Miller, and has a handful of very tradeable contracts while also being loaded with draft picks–six first-rounders in the next three drafts, and all their own first-rounders going forward. They also have more than 15 second-rounders.
Top trade chips, as we reported, include Dennis Schroder, Grayson Allen, Grant Williams and Dorian Finney-Smith, who all make $13 million-$18 million.
The East executive said: “They’re in a great position and they can afford to be patient, but they also want to start turning the corner and winning, and this deadline might be a really good chance to do that. I think they will be active, if I had to guess, and I think a lot of teams will be very active.”
Kyrie Irving … Eventually
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who is based in Dallas and has ties with the Mavs, pointed out this week that though the Mavs and Kyrie Irving have a good relationship, even after a change of front office and coaching staff, teams continue to eye him on the NBA trade rumor mill. Said MacMahon: “They’re building around a 19 year old prodigy in Cooper Flagg. So could there come a time when it makes sense for both sides to find a contender for Kyrie to go to?”
Indeed, we’ve heard the same. There have not been many discussions on Irving as a trade chip yet, but Irving does not likely have a long-term future in Dallas, and the fact that he is returning from injury was always going to make it smarter for the Mavericks to wait until he gets back on the floor and can rebuild trade value to put him on the market. Check back in on him in mid-January.
NBA Trade Rumors: Contenders Will Eye Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: two years, $82 million, player option in second year.) To be clear, nothing is imminent on a Kyrie Irving trade and there have not been active discussions on moving him. The guy is coming off a torn ACL, after all. Like a lot of veterans, the idea is to play him through January, build value and see if something can be done at the deadline. The Mavs won’t be afraid to keep him around, but they’re configuring the roster around youth.
Darius Garland, Clippers. (Remaining contract: two years, $87 million.) The Clippers are licking their wounds after the five-first-round-pick penalty from the Aspiration-Kawhi Leonard scandal settled in, and while it is not clear which path the team will take next–or the ramifications from the fact that their owner and GM are currently suspended–collecting draft picks and cap space would be a good idea. Garland is the only player on the roster who could potentially warrant a package of two first-rounders though his injury history would be an obstacle.
Dejounte Murray, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: two years, $63 million, player option.) Teams will want to see how he looks now that he should be fully healed from his Achilles tendon injury, but expect him to be a trade candidate as the deadline nears.
Jamal Murray, Nuggets. (Remaining contract; three years, $161 million.) Maybe? It’s not likely to happen now, but the finances in Denver are grim. It’s not hard to see a Jaylen Brown situation here. The Nuggets can continue to make changes around the margins, but with Nikola Jokic’s contract situation looming, they might need to do something drastic.
Mikal Bridges, Knicks. (Remaining contract: four years, $150 million.) It would make sense for the Knicks to give them flexibility going forward, so we’ll slide him on this list. But the Knicks appear determined to try to hammer the team under the second apron for as long as it can stay there–there will be a breaking point, though.
Ty Jerome, Grizzlies. (Remaining contract: two years, $19 million, including player option.) Jerome took advantage of the mess in Memphis last year and averaged 19.7 points, shooting 42.0% from the 3-point line. The Grizzlies will need to thin out their roster, and the 29-year-old Jerome really does not fit here. He would have good value if Memphis wants to flip him for future assets, but the Grizz do not have much else at point guard.
Jalen Suggs, Magic. (Remaining contract: four years, $115 million, team option.) Suggs has been in the NBA five years, and had one good season as a two-way guard who could knock down 3s (2023-24, averaging 12.6 points and 39.7% 3-point shooting). Every other year in the league has been ugly and injury-riddled for Suggs. Unfortunately for the Magic, Suggs’ one good year was when he was up for an extension. We can’t rule out Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner trades, but only if the season truly goes South.
Dalton Knecht, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $10 million, including two team options.) Knecht showed some promise as a rookie but fell off in Year 2 and is now a contract filler in a potential trade. It has been surprising that no team has been willing to gamble on his upside–he is only 25.
Jaden Hardy, Lakers. (Remaining contract: one year, $6 million.) The Lakers need to drop a player, and Hardy is a good candidate if they can find a taker.
NBA Trade Rumors: Wing Candidates
Brandon Ingram, Raptors/Clippers. (Remaining contract: two years, $82 million, player option.) The Clippers should be seeking to do what they can to pile up draft picks, and moving off of Brandon Ingram next offseason could fetch them one.
Moses Moody, Warriors. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) Moody is potentially going to be ready for the start of the season, and is said to be staying put. But if the Warriors do anything trade-wise this summer, speculation holds it will involve Moody.
Trey Murphy, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: three years, $88 million.) There have been rumblings that the Pelicans would deal Murphy, and equal rumblings have indicated they won’t. Murphy is a favorite in NBA trade rumors, but New Orleans is slow-playing any potential trade.
Saddiq Bey, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: one year, $6.5 million.) Bey came back with a strong season last year after tearing his ACL, averaging 17.7 points and shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.7% from the 3-point line. They were hollow numbers on a bad team, but he showed he still could be an adequate wing off someone’s bench.
Patrick Williams, Bulls. (Remaining contract: three years, $54 million,) It would be symbolic and probably cathartic for fans to see Williams dumped as a new front office and coaching staff comes in. But Williams’ contract is prohibitive.
Michael Porter Jr., Nets. (Remaining contract: one year, $40 million, partial guarantee.) Michael Porter Jr. (Remaining contract: one year, $40 million, partial guarantee.) Assuming the Nets’ contract talks do not reignite with Porter, he will be a top trade focus all winter. His extension talks appear to be faltering. He is a fringe All-Star, though, and is seeking to be paid like one. If the Nets do not want to go too far on a contract, the question would be whether another team would.
Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers. (Remaining contract: one year, $10 million.) Jones is a defensive ace still, and his expiring contract gives the Clippers some wiggle room to move him. They’re caught in the Aspiration pause, however.
Kyle Kuzma, Bucks. (Remaining contract: one year, $20 million,) His expiring contract is attractive and if the Bucks pull a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin or Jonathan Kuminga, he could be involved.
DeAndre Hunter, Kings. (Remaining contract: one year, $25 million.) The Kings want to keep him as an expiring contract they could potentially flip, but he’s being mentioned as a possible target. If Sacto can get back an asset without taking long-term money, he could be dealt at the deadline.
Royce O’Neale, Hornets. (Remaining contract: two years, $21 million,) The Hornets still have some sorting to do. O’Neale is not a long-term piece, of course, but he has value. The team could hang onto him, see how he fits and flip him at the deadline.
Jake LaRavia, Lakers. (Remaining contract: one year, $6 million.) Hustles, plays every game, but inconsistent. His contract makes him an attractive piece, though, as the Lakers are still figuring out the back end of their roster.
Herb Jones, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: four years, $82 million, including player option.) Jones is a popular name on the market, but the Pelicans are said to want two first-round picks, and with Jones having struggled with injuries and his 3-point shot in the past two seasons, that’s too steep. His remaining contract scares off potential suitors, too.
Cam Johnson, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: one year, $23 million.) The Peyton Watson move probably means Johnson stays put, but he will be very tradeable in the coming months before the deadline. Johnson struggled in his lone season in Denver, and he has been a prominent feature on the NBA trade rumor mill for years now. But teams wanted the Nuggets to include picks in a Johnson deal, and that was not happening. He still has enough of a reputation around the league to warrant trade interest, but the apron-addled Nuggets value the fact that he has an expiring contract. They need that space for Nikola Jokic next summer.
PJ Washington, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 4 years, $90 million.) Like Daniel Gafford, Washington is aging out of the Mavericks’ timeline, as he turns 28 this summer. He’s a stretch 4 who plays good defense, but his shooting has been suspect–he made just 32.5% of his 3s last year. Like Gafford, they’re hoping to get a first-round pick in a deal for him, but the contract is prohibitive and the production is not worth it.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Hornets. (Remaining contract: three years, $41 million, player options.) He is one of many mid-priced Hornets on the NBA trade rumor mill. He is coming off a rough year in Houston, but the Hornets could see if his value bounces back. His contract will get more tradeable as time goes on.
Centers/Power Forwards Trade Candidates
Paolo Banchero, Magic. (Remaining contract: five years, $245 million, player option.) Good luck finding a taker for that deal. But if the Magic continue to flop, he will be a big name on the NBA trade rumor mill.
Jalen Smith, Bulls. (Remaining contract: one year, $9.4 million.) We had Patrick Williams here in a previous version of this list, and it would be a symbolic flush of the old era for new GM Bryson Graham to dump Williams, but no one is taking on that three-year, $54 million deal. There has been interest in Smith, and the Bulls could cash in on him as the season gets rolling and teams clearly have big man needs.
Nikola Jovic, Heat. (Remaining contract: four years, $62 million.) There is trepidation about trading for Jovic, who is certainly available and is still only 23 years old. But the remaining contract is a hefty bite for teams to take.
Grant Williams, Hornets. (Remaining contract: one year, $15 million.) The Hornets are not quite done with their roster, and Williams’ expiring deal has some value. He can still be a worthy big man off the bench.
Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: four years, $32 million.) The Nuggets shopped Nnaji this summer, but there were no takers. He does not have a weighty contract, but four years is lengthy for him.
Obi Toppin, Pacers. (Remaining contract: two years, $31 million.) A foot injury torpedoed his season last year, and even when healthy, he’s a bench player who give you about 18 minutes a night. The Pacers will likely do something to get themselves under the luxury tax, either now or at the deadline.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) The Lakers have been trying to find a taker for Vanderbilt, but no one has been eager to take on his contract. So, the question is what to do with him now? Most likely, the Lakers will keep Vanderbilt in the rotation and attempt to rehabilitate his value, with an eye on trading him at the deadline or next summer. There could be smaller Lakers moves coming–Dalton Knecht and/or Jaden Hardy–but Vanderbilt is the guy they’d like to move.
Aaron Gordon, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: three years, $110 million.) The Nuggets will have a second-apron crunch next year, as has been well documented. That is one reason they did not want to move off the expiring contract of Cam Johnson this summer, and probably won’t do so this season–they value the $23 million Johnson will leave behind when he hits free agency. The Nuggets plan to give Nikola Jokic a $360 million extension next summer, but they’re going to need more flexibility. Dealing Gordon could do it, though his contract and health issues make that difficult.
Daniel Gafford, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 3 years, $54 million.) Gafford will be 28 in October, and with the Mavs focused on getting younger, moving him along has been one of the team’s goals.
NBA Trade Rumors: New Jalen Duren Questions, Kyrie Irving & the Big Board