Things are turning messy between the Detroit Pistons and rising star center Jalen Duren as contract negotiations for the restricted free agent continue late into the offseason, and the potential for a trade is becoming more and more likely.
Duren, 22, is hoping to earn roughly $40 million a year, and though the Pistons aren’t too far off on what they want to pay him, the two sides have yet to agree, and reports continue to emerge about the idea of a trade happening before the 2026-27 NBA season begins.
Both the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks are interested in trading for Duren, but according to one Pistons writer, the Los Angeles Clippers could be a landing spot for the All-Star center, which is exactly where he goes in a new trade proposal.
Pistons Trade Idea Swaps Jalen Duren For Brandon Ingram, Brook Lopez
Writing for DetroitJockCity.com, Cem Yolbulan offered a Pistons-Clippers trade idea that sends Duren out West for a pretty big haul back in return.
Here’s the proposal he offered up:
Detroit Pistons receive: Brandon Ingram, Brook Lopez, and a first-round pick
Los Angeles Clippers receive: Jalen Duren
On paper, this is a very interesting trade for both sides.
Detroit gets a new star wing and a veteran center, while Los Angeles gets back a blue-chip asset to start building the future around.
However, this trade, which would have to come in the form of a sign-and-trade, couldn’t happen until later in the season, as Ingram was already traded from the Toronto Raptors this summer and couldn’t be moved for a few months, according to rules set by the NBA.
There’s also no indication the Clippers would be willing to give up a draft pick, as they are already without five of those after the Kawhi Leonard scandal.
But as Yolbulan wrote, they could toss in another player to sweeten the pot for Detroit.
“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,” the writer added.
Though perhaps not the most realistic Duren trade idea, this one can’t be ruled out for the Pistons, as the Clippers look desperate to do anything to stay competitive after their historic punishment.
Why Detroit Moves The Star Big Man Now
Outside of the two main reasons for this trade being somewhat realistic by finally ending the dramatic saga with Duren and continuing to maximize the time the Pistons have with superstar Cade Cunningham, this deal would be a pretty solid return for Detroit.
They would get back Ingram, who is a former All-Star and is good for 20 points per game every single night. He wouldn’t offer a ton of help on defense, but would finally be the secondary scorer next to Cunningham, which would drastically help the team’s offense, which fell off a cliff in the 2026 playoffs.
They would also get back Lopez, a 2021 NBA champion, who, despite not being anywhere close to his peak, could give some solid minutes and would be a much-needed veteran to this mostly-young roster.
Additionally, if Jones or Strus is involved in this trade proposal as well, they would each be a solid wing replacement for the forwards the Pistons lost this summer.
Regardless, signs point to a split between the Pistons and Duren coming soon, and if the Clippers are willing to give up some assets as seen in this trade proposal, Detroit should pick up the phone.
Pistons Proposed To Trade Jalen Duren For All-Star Wing And NBA Champ Center