The Washington Wizards would have interest in a trade built around Anthony Davis and Jalen Duren. The Detroit Pistons remain unwilling to pursue that possibility.
Even if Detroit changes its position, completing a deal would require considerably more than agreement on the two centers’ basketball value.
The scenario surfaced Monday when Andscape’s Marc J. Spears named Washington among four teams interested in Duren on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” Jorge Sedano floated Davis as a potential trade piece, explicitly describing the discussion as speculation.
Now, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson report that Washington would have interest in a Duren-for-Davis trade. Detroit, however, has continued refusing to engage interested teams in sign-and-trade discussions.
That resistance comes before the salary calculations, which would make this transaction complicated.
Why a Duren-Davis Sign-and-Trade Would Be Difficult
Because Detroit would be above the salary cap after signing Duren to the substantial new contract being contemplated, base-year compensation would complicate any trade for Davis.
Detroit’s outgoing salary for matching purposes would be the greater of Duren’s previous salary or 50% of his new first-year salary. On the substantial contract being contemplated, the 50% calculation would apply.
Washington would count 100% of that first-year salary as incoming money.
For illustration, a contract starting at $40 million would give Detroit $20 million in outgoing matching salary while Washington would receive $40 million. That is a hypothetical example, not a reported contract structure.
Davis is scheduled to earn approximately $58.5 million this season, leaving Detroit with a sizable gap between Duren’s outgoing value and the salary it would acquire.
A straight exchange would not satisfy salary matching in that example. Detroit would need additional outgoing salary or another permissible way to absorb the difference.
Sending more Pistons to Washington could create another problem: The Wizards would have to accommodate those salaries alongside Duren’s full incoming figure.
A third team could potentially help distribute contracts, but that would require another organization to agree on compensation and roster consequences. Neither report establishes that such a package has been negotiated.
Pistons Continue Prioritizing Jalen Duren’s Return
The immediate obstacle remains Detroit’s preference to keep its center.
Amick and Patterson identified Sacramento and Milwaukee as seriously interested in Duren. The Kings have not spoken with Detroit since late June, according to their report.
Pistons president Trajan Langdon has spoken publicly as though Duren’s return remains the expected outcome.
“We will be excited to have him in, regardless of what decision he does make,” Langdon said Monday. “He was a huge reason for our success the last two seasons.”
Detroit’s five-year, $200 million offer remains available. Duren could instead accept a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer and position himself for unrestricted free agency next summer.
The qualifying offer’s current acceptance deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.
Washington’s interest gives the situation another potential direction, but pursuing it would require Detroit to reconsider its approach. Before the teams can debate additional players or matching salaries, Langdon must first decide whether he is willing to discuss moving Duren.
Pistons’ Stance on Anthony Davis Trade Revealed as Jalen Duren Deadline Looms