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As the Pistons’ negotiations with restricted free agent center Jalen Duren drag well into September, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears from one source familiar with the process that the big man is “increasingly” considering the possibility of signing his one-year, $9.6MM qualifying offer.

Stein acknowledges that there’s still “skepticism” about whether Duren would really take that route, given how risky it would be. If he were to accept his QO, the third-team All-NBA center would be able to reach unrestricted free agency and sign with any team in 2027, at which time he’d seek an offer more lucrative than the one Detroit has put on the table this offseason.

The Pistons have reportedly made Duren a long-term offer in the range of $35MM annually, whereas the 22-year-old and his camp want a contract that exceeds $40MM per year. There will likely be resolution one way or the other by October 1, which is the deadline for Duren to sign his qualifying offer.

Here’s more from Stein:

• The Raptors and Kawhi Leonard are eager to complete the trade agreement that will send the star forward from Los Angeles to Toronto, Stein writes, while the Clippers are believed to be the source of the hold-up. According to Stein, some league observers have wondered whether L.A. is dragging its feet on the deal “or considering something even more drastic” in order to spite Leonard after he got off relatively scot-free while the Clippers faced significant penalties – including five forfeited first-round picks – after the NBA determined they violated salary cap circumvention rules to pay him beyond his NBA salary. However, multiple sources continue to insist to Stein that the delay is about getting the team’s front office hierarchy in order following the suspensions of president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and owner Steve Ballmeras he previously reported.
• Stein’s colleague Jake Fischer identified Walter Clayton earlier this week as a player in jeopardy of losing his roster spot amid the Grizzlies’ roster crunch, but according to Stein, Fischer has since amended that stance, passing along that Clayton has “a good chance” to survive the team’s cuts and make the regular season roster. As we detailed this morning, there are currently 19 players on standard contracts vying for 15 roster spots in Memphis.
• Mavericks president Masai Ujiri has added a pair of former Raptors staffers to his front office, having hired Matt Redfield as an assistant general manager and Justin Serresse as a global scout, Stein reports. The Mavs have also hired Blaise Ross from the league office to be the club’s senior director of salary cap and strategy and promoted DJ Sewell to manager of salary cap and strategy, Stein adds.
• Stein provides one more update on the Maverickswriting that Nate Mitchell will soon be announced as the head coach of the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate. Stein said in July that Mitchell was a “prime candidate” for that job.