NBA Notes: Pistons, Jalen Duren, Sixers, Tyrese Maxey, Celtics

Pistons

Things apparently aren’t getting any friendlier between Jalen Duren and the Pistons.

A source described the negotiations as becoming “noxious” to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, with the sides still far apart on Duren’s next contract.

Duren is coming off an All-Star and All-NBA season and reportedly believes he has earned something approaching a maximum deal. Helin writes that Duren would likely be satisfied with a contract in the neighborhood of Victor Wembanyama’s five-year, $239 million extension.

Detroit, meanwhile, has reportedly been unwilling to venture much beyond $30 million annually.

That gap has produced more than your standard restricted-free-agent stalemate.

“There’s certain things that a player should not have to hear,” ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill said recently on The Hoop Collective, referring to messages that have apparently made their way back to Duren regarding Detroit’s valuation of him.

Duren can accept his $9.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, though doing so would mean passing on significant guaranteed money now.

76ers

Tyrese Maxey knows the Sixers have plenty of star power. He also knows there’s only one basketball.

Maxey told HoopsHype’s Sam Yip that making Philadelphia’s new collection of stars work will require everyone to check their ego.

“Nobody on this team can have an ego,” Maxey said. “We have two guys that have won regular-season MVPs, two guys that have won Finals MVPs, multiple gold medal winners on this team, multiple 25-plus points per game, All-Stars, All-NBA.”

With LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe among those needing touches, Maxey said late-game shot selection may simply depend on the circumstances.

“We’re all pretty accomplished,” he said. “So the ego has to drop and you have to do it collectively.”

Celtics

Chris Cenac Jr. may not have enjoyed waiting until No. 27 on draft night. His college coach believes the wait worked in his favor.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that he was actually pleased Cenac slipped past several teams before landing with the Celtics.

“When Boston took him, I said, ‘They believe in you, Chris. You went to the right team,’” Sampson said.

Sampson praised Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla and believes Boston’s development program gives Cenac an ideal environment.

He even pointed to Payton Pritchard as an example.

“I don’t know that Pritchard would be a great player everywhere, but he made it in Boston,” Sampson said. “I don’t think it was a coincidence that it was in Boston.”

Cenac, a floor-spacing big man, will now get his chance to do the same.