Ausar, Keyonte Get Paid! How will this Affect others from 2023 Class (and Jalen Duren)?

September 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Detroit Pistons gave Ausar Thompson a five-year, $155 million extension, and his twin brother Amen signed a similar deal with Houston. Combined, the Thompson twins locked down $360 million in guaranteed money this offseason. That number—and the timing of Ausar’s deal—sent a ripple through the league, raising questions about what it means for Thompson’s teammate Jalen Duren, and for the rest of the 2023 draft class still waiting for their own paydays.

The Ausar Thompson Deal and What It Says About Detroit’s Priorities

Ausar Thompson is arguably the best non-big man defender in the NBA, but his offensive game remains raw. He shoots around 20 percent from three, and his finishing at the rim—67 percent from 0-3 feet, 58th percentile per Cleaning the Glass—is a bigger concern than his outside shot. The Pistons were reportedly willing to go as high as $35 million per year, but Thompson and his camp told them not to push that high, wanting to preserve cap flexibility to keep the team around him. The result is a team-friendly deal that locks up a defensive cornerstone.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Opening & Ads** - Podcast intro and sponsor messages for State Farm, Optimum Fiber, and Locked On NBA Game Night.
2 (01:45) **Ausar Thompson's Extension: The Deal & Reaction** - Hosts Andy and Coop break down the news of Ausar Thompson's five-year, $155 million extension with the Pistons.
3 (06:17) **How Ausar's Deal Affects Jalen Duren's Stalemate** - The hosts analyze the impact of Thompson's extension on the ongoing negotiations with restricted free agent Jalen Duren.
4 (12:10) **Mid-Roll Ads** - Advertisements for Aura and Wonder.
5 (14:01) **2023 Draft Class Extensions: Brandon Miller** - The first player discussed is Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller.
6 (17:32) **Scoot Henderson** - The conversation moves to the struggling Portland Trail Blazers guard.
7 (20:41) **Anthony Black** - The hosts discuss the Orlando Magic guard's potential extension.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

On Friday, rising Pistons defensive wing Ausar Thompson and rising Jazz bucket-getter Keyonte George both received extensions from their respective teams. Both were for roughly the same terms and created interesting storylines around the league.

For Detroit, Thompson getting paid naturally raises the question of how the summer-long (and by multiple reports, increasingly tense) stalemate will last between them and All-NBA center Jalen Duren.

For the rest of the league, these new contracts could impact the negotiations for fellow 2023 draft class guys like Cason Wallace, Scoot Henderson, Anthony Black, Bilal Coulibaly, Brandon Podziemski, Derrick Lively II, and Jaime Jacquez Jr. And what to make of this class in general?

Andy Kamenetzky (Locked on Lakers) and Ku Khahil (Locked On Pistons) break it all down!

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