Trajan Langdon, now Pistons head of basketball operations, once helped the Pelicans craft Zion Williamson’s max contract with a weight clause that could turn future salaries partially non‑guaranteed if he missed specific body‑fat targets.
Tension over that clause fuels the strain between the Pistons and Duren, and Omari Sankofa II wonders if the rift can ever be healed or if a deal will simply cement the divide.
What’s the latest around the Central?
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun‑Times says the Bulls’ frontcourt trio—Nic Claxton, Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis—could become Chicago’s most electrifying since Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, while questioning whether former No. 4 pick Patrick Williams will crack a rotation crowded with Isaac Okoro, Jalen Smith, Zach Collins and Leonard Miller.
- In a subscriber‑only piece for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jim Owczarski profiles Bucks’ new coach Taylor Jenkins, tasked with resetting culture after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s exit; rival coaches predict a sneaky, fast start, and for my money Jenkins could reshape Milwaukee quickly.