Restricted free agent Jalen Duren and the Pistons have yet to reach an agreement and it doesn’t appear it’s close to be resolved. Assuming the All-Star center returns, Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois takes a look at what the team’s rotation might look like this season.
Duncan Robinson, Paul Reed, Ron Holland and free agent acquisition John Collins are certain to be part of the rotation, with Robinson and Collins the favorites to claim the other starting roles, Langlois writes. Reed will have an expanded role after essentially backing up both Duren and Isaiah Stewart, who was dealt to Memphis, last season. Holland is poised to take a leap in his third season in the league, Langlois opines.
Isaiah Joe — acquired from Oklahoma City this offseason — and returnees Kevin Huerter, Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green are the other contenders to receive steady minutes.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
The Pacers haven’t been a taxpaying team since the 2004/05 season but they currently sit above the luxury tax line. Forbes’ Tony East notes that the team has 14 players on standard contracts totaling $206.3MM, which is approximately $5.9MM over the tax threshold. If the team returns to prominence in the Eastern Conference, Pacers management has stated that ownership is willing to pay the tax. However, they could instead choose to move one or more players with a mid-sized contract – such as Kelly Oubre Jr., Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, or Jay Huff – at some point to get under the tax before the end of next season.
The Cavaliers have reached a multi-year agreement with DAZN for local broadcasting rights, according to a team press release. DAZN will stream all regular season games not selected exclusively for national broadcasts. As part of the agreement, the Cavaliers will move game production in-house through Rock Entertainment Sports Network. Previous reporting indicated that Cleveland – whose games were previously broadcast by Main Street Sports Group – was among the teams expected to reach a strike a deal with DAZN for the 2026/27 season.
In case you missed it, Thanasis Antetokounmpo has signed a multi-year contract with a Greek club. Giannis’ brother had spent six of the last seven seasons with the Bucks. Get the details here.