As they have been for the past few months, the Detroit Pistons are trying to work out Jalen Duren's future. Given where we're at in the offseason (as in, it's almost over!), it seems like, one way or another, he'll be in Michigan to start 2026-27, but that doesn't mean he'll stay there. What if the team can facilitate a midseason trade for Anthony Davis using the 2022 first-round pick?
Yossi Gozlan floated that as a possibility in the latest episode of the "Third Apron Podcast" with Sam Quinn. He listed Duren as one way the Wizards could get "real value" in return for Davis. Turning the 33-year-old into a 22-year-old who made All-NBA and was an All-Star fits that description.
The question is whether it would be worth it for Detroit. To make it work, the Pistons and Duren would have to agree to a multi-year deal, which, if that happens, you might think would eliminate the need for a trade. But that won't automatically mean all is well. A few factors could be at play: tension lingering into the season, Duren getting off to a rough start, or simply not wanting to be there anymore.
At this point, it may be easier for you to talk yourself into having Davis over Duren. While it could work, it would raise more concerns for Detroit than if it gave its young center what it wants: a five-year deal worth at least $200 million (subscription required), as The Athletic reported.
Paying Duren is less of a gamble than trading him for Davis
If you think that giving Duren a contract with an average annual salary of $40 million over $35 million is too much, imagine paying Davis $58.5 million in 2026-27, and if that's not too much for you, he has a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season. Oh, and he's due for an extension, so any team that trades for him would do so assuming they'll keep him around, which would mean paying him.
Davis will be eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension if he declines his player option for next year, and while he shouldn't get that much, his camp (Rich Paul) will still push for a significant sum.
AD would give Detroit an established star to pair with the face of its franchise, Cade Cunningham, and it'd boost the Pistons' chances not just of taking a step further in the playoffs by reaching the conference finals, but of making it out of the East.
So, why not do that, over paying (and keeping) Duren, who is coming off a flat playoff performance?
The answer is simple: Swapping Duren for Davis would mean nothing for the Pistons if he couldn't get — and stay — on the floor when they need him most. That risk is enough for Detroit not to invest in him and makes paying Duren what he wants seem much more digestible.
Davis has played in only 29 games since the Lakers traded him to the Mavericks in the Luka Dončić deal in January 2025. He's healthy and ready to start the season in Washington, but the Wizards are holding off on a potential extension for a reason. They want a large enough sample size to go off of if that happens.
The Pistons would be better off giving Duren the contract he wants than mortgaging their future (with the trade and an extension) on an oft-injured veteran who is past his prime.
Add us as a preferred source on Google