When the Detroit Pistons' season ended, there was little doubt about whether Jalen Duren would be on the team in the 2026-27 campaign. Even though he was hitting restricted free agency, the consensus was that the sides would come to an agreement and Duren would return to Detroit.
That couldn't have been further from the truth. Duren and the Pistons have been in the midst of a nasty stalemate since the start of the offseason. The relationship between the 22-year-old center and the Pistons has been gradually deteriorating. The most recent reports have suggested that Duren may be closer to accepting the qualifying offer than he has ever been.
A big reason why is the fact that Duren has some suitors. Teams that didn't have cap space this offseason could create it for next summer if Duren hits unrestricted free agency. If the All-Star center plays out the year on the one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer, then he might land a four-year max contract on the open market.
It may be time the Pistons engaged in Jalen Duren sign-and-trade discussions
That is why the Pistons should seriously begin to consider sign-and-trade scenarios. If they get the feeling that Duren is serious about the qualifying offer + unrestricted free agency path, then it behooves the Pistons to trade him now and recoup some value.
The Sacramento Kings are known as the primary suitors for Duren. The trade package would almost have to include Domantas Sabonis. The Lithuanian center missed most of last season and is on an unfavorable contract that pays him $94 million over the next two seasons. He also has severe defensive limitations that could hurt Detroit's playoff ceiling.
But if the Kings include multiple unprotected first-round picks in the deal, then the Pistons would be wise to seriously consider moving Duren. Detroit could then use those first-round picks to further upgrade the roster, either before the season or at the trade deadline. This could even be a three-team construction where the Pistons reroute Sabonis elsewhere and acquire a different starting center.
The LA Clippers have emerged as another potential landing spot after receiving a massive cap circumvention punishment from the NBA. Free agency is their only route to building a competitive roster, so they may be interested in giving a massive deal to Duren. The problem here is that no one is running the Clippers right now, as their top brass has been suspended. It's difficult to imagine that they will get their things in order to pull this deal off in time.
The Athletic's Sam Amick reported that Duren has three serious suitors at the moment. Who else may be in the pursuit is currently unknown. But if the Pistons were to make Duren available, one has to imagine that there will be more teams exploring a sign-and-trade.
In such a trade, the Pistons are not going to get a better player than Duren. Instead, they can get young players of intrigue or draft capital. They could then flip these assets to find their next starting center.
Since the Kings are so interested in Duren, they may have the best offer for the star center. The Pistons may not be able to find a better package than Sabonis plus multiple first-round picks. If the alternative is to have an unhappy Duren play for a year and lose him for nothing next summer, then the Pistons may have to engage with Sacramento.
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