The stalemate between the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren will come to a head this week. October 1 is Duren's deadline to accept the qualifying offer. The chances of him taking it so that he can hit unrestricted free agency next offseason increase by the day.
That also means that the odds of a sign-and-trade are going up. Instead of having an unhappy Duren play on a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer, the Pistons would prefer to trade him and recoup assets. There are reportedly several suitors for Duren's services. What can the Pistons realistically get from these suitors in a potential Duren trade?
1- Domantas Sabonis + 3 First-Round Picks from Sacramento
The Kings' interest in Duren is well-known. They are reportedly willing to give Duren a max contract next offseason, which is clearly contributing to the All-Star center's unwillingness to accept the Pistons' offers so far.
Sacramento desperately needs to add more young talent, and Duren fits what they are looking for. They also want to offload Domantas Sabonis' remaining two-years, $94 million contract.
Since Sabonis had a lost season last year, is on a bad contract, and isn't the cleanest fit on a title contender, the Pistons would have to be properly compensated to consider acquiring him. Three first-round picks from one of the worst-run organizations in the NBA should be more than enough to convince Detroit.
The Pistons can then use this draft compensation to upgrade at the trade deadline.
2- Myles Turner and Ryan Rollins from Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is another team keeping an eye on the Jalen Duren situation. After ending the Giannis Antetokounmpo era this summer, the Bucks want to find their next young star to build around. Duren could be that player.
There are several different ways a trade between the two teams can be constructed. Myles Turner or Tyler Herro has to be included for salary purposes, and since the Pistons will need a starting center to replace Duren, the former makes more sense.
The Pistons would love to get their hands on Rollins in this trade. The 24-year-old guard would be an excellent backcourt partner for Cade Cunningham, but whether the Bucks would be willing to part ways with the underrated two-way player is unclear.
If Rollins is untouchable, it could instead be AJ Green, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and/or draft compensation in the trade package.
3- Brandon Ingram, Brook Lopez + a First-Round Pick from LA Clippers
The Clippers haven't been named as a Duren suitor. But the recent reporting suggests that there is at least one team, besides Sacramento and Milwaukee, that's interested in the 22-year-old big man. The chances are that the Clippers, who possibly have the worst center rotation in the league, are among them.
Plus, after their five first-round picks were stripped away by the NBA, the Clippers need to add young talent through trades and free agency. They should have some interest in pairing Duren with Darius Garland when building for the future.
The Clippers have some role players, like Max Strus and Derrick Jones Jr., that they can include in the trade, but the Ingram-Lopez combination makes the most sense for the Pistons. Ingram could be the secondary scorer the Pistons need next to Cunningham, and Lopez could be the temporary fix to the Pistons' hole at center. Since it's not an ideal return in terms of players, the Pistons would also get a first-rounder from LA.
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