Jalen Duren's time in Detroit may be coming to an end. With one week left before he has to report to training camp and make a decision on his qualifying offer, Duren has yet to sign a new deal with the Pistons. The latest reporting suggests that the All-Star center is frustrated with the franchise and may be looking for greener pastures.
This significantly increases the chances of him accepting the qualifying offer and hitting unrestricted free agency next offseason. This isn't an ideal situation for the Pistons, as it means they could lose him for nothing.
That is why the Pistons have to explore sign-and-trade scenarios. The Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly very interested in acquiring Duren. We know that Sacramento's package would have to include Domantas Sabonis and draft capital. What can the Bucks offer the Pistons to make it worthwhile for them to trade their star center?
Assessing what a Jalen Duren trade package from the Bucks could look like
In terms of players, the Bucks have several veterans who should be of interest to Detroit. The most important part of the trade package, however, has to be Myles Turner. The Pistons will need another starting center, and Turner is as good as they can hope to get at this point in the offseason. Plus, his $26.5 million salary for next season is needed to make the trade work.
Depending on the contract Duren gets in the sign-and-trade scenario, Turner could be enough in terms of matching salary. But if he were to get near the 25% max, then the Bucks would have to include another mid-size salary.
Sharpshooter AJ Green or two-way forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. could be good options. The Bucks also have Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis, who just arrived from Miami in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but they aren't particularly good fits in Detroit.
Ryan Rollins would be an excellent addition. The combo guard is an underrated guard who could play with or without Cade Cunningham. He can shoot, score, pass, and defend, and only makes $4 million. So, it's difficult to imagine the Bucks wanting to include him in the deal.
If they do, however, a Turner plus Rollins package for Duren would be an incredible return for the Pistons.
Depending on who the Bucks include in the deal with Turner, the draft compensation will change. If it's just Turner, maybe the Pistons could get two future first-round picks from the Bucks. They could then use this to make more moves around the trade deadline to bolster their roster.
If it's Turner and AJ Green, for example, maybe the Pistons get just one first-round pick in exchange for Duren.
These trade frameworks could be expanded. Maybe the Bucks would want to dump Kyle Kuzma's $20.5 million salary for next season. Perhaps the Pistons would want Tyler Herro included in the deal. In those scenarios, the Pistons would have to include more salaries on their side of the equation. This would change the calculation of the draft compensation.
Having to move on from Duren wouldn't be an ideal scenario for the Pistons, but there is reportedly a ton of resentment towards the organization from the 22-year-old center. For the Pistons, it may be better to try to recoup some assets for Duren, and the Bucks offer a reasonable path for it.
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