The Detroit Pistons are still figuring out the future of Jalen Duren, but one team still has strong interest in making a move to acquire him. Duren is the top NBA free agent left on the market since he’s been unable to come to terms with a new contract with the Pistons. The Sacramento Kings have remained an interested team hoping to improve their young core with the All-NBA center.
However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon revealed that Detroit shows zero interest in Sacramento’s top sign and trade offer:
“What the Kings would want, is to sign-and-trade for Jalen Duren, and send Domantas Sabonis to Detroit, but that’s not happening.”
The Kings financially would want a sign and trade that gets rid of their current center. Sabonis is a multi-time All-Star, but last season’s injury riddled woes prevented him from having a strong year. Sacramento has already moved on from DeMar DeRozan in their efforts to rebuild with youth.
Duren would give them a younger and more athletic center than Sabonis, despite both providing similar results at their best. The Kings’ desire to trade Sabonis to Detroit and signing Duren sees the Pistons not interested. Duren is too important to Cade Cunningham and the rest of the roster to lose for nothing.
Why Pistons Won’t Accept Kings Trade
Detroit still hopes to retain Duren in free agency and are just doing their part to make the right business call. A terrible postseason in seven-game series against the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers flat out “exposed” Duren’s weaknesses.
Everything positive from the breakout season of making his first All-Star Game and first All-NBA team went away when he got played off the court as the second-best player. Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson weren’t strong enough offensive players to be a number two option on a true title contender.
Duren received a lot of blame, but the Pistons do still value his contributions. Last season was still a success with Detroit reaching the top seed in the East with Duren as the second option. However, the Pistons want to keep Duren on a fair contract for their salary cap to improve at other areas to compete with the New York Knicks and other top East teams.
What Will Happen To Jalen Duren?
The most likely scenario still would see Duren returning to the Pistons on a salary the team feels is fair in the low $20s of millions per year. Duren and his agent are dragging this out to see if the Kings or other rumored teams like the Los Angeles Clippers will get creative team.
Today’s news of the Clippers losing five future first round draft picks as punishment for circumventing the cap to pay Kawhi Leonard could make them more desperate. The team would have to shed some salary to work out a sign and trade with Detroit.
Regardless, expect the Pistons to retain Duren unless someone makes a drastic change or finds a third team to make it a multi-team deal. Detroit still wants to contend and feels more confident doing that with Duren as center over Sabonis and the other trade pieces offered to them in a sign and trade.
Kings Trade Offer To Pistons For Jalen Duren Revealed