Jalen Duren trade proposal would radically transform the Pistons' identity

As the Jalen Duren situation lingers, we will hear more speculation about the idea of a sign-and-trade for the Detroit Pistons. 

To be clear, I do not think this will happen, and as a fan, would prefer the Pistons to just sign Duren and get this over with. But the numbers do matter, and the Pistons can’t go too high for Duren if they want to keep their flexibility and ability to add another star after also extending Ausar Thompson. 

The hosts of The Game Theory Podcast, were speculating about possible sign-and-trades and came up with an interesting one involving the Milwaukee Bucks. This was them just spit balling, so they weren’t suggesting this was going to happen. 

The deal sent Duren to the Bucks for Myles Turner and Ryan Rollins, though they did concede that the Pistons might have to cough up draft assets as well. 

It’s an interesting idea on paper, as it would solve a couple of problems for the Pistons, but it would cost them in other areas. 

The stretch five and the second creator 

It seems like the Pistons have been talking about having a stretch five and a second creator for an eternity, and this proposed deal would get them one of each. 

Turner is one of the best shooting centers in the league, knocking down 38 percent last season on high volume, which would make the Ausar Thompson problem go away, as there would no longer be spacing issues like there are with Duren. 

The Pistons would also pick up a second creator and scorer in Rollins, a very good young player who would be a perfect fit for Cade Cunningham. I love him as a target for the Pistons on his own but getting him back in this deal would help solve another problem for Detroit. 

It would also make it much easier to extend Ausar Thompson and still keep financial flexibility to add more talent in the future. It would be a drastic alteration of the team that would almost certainly make them better offensively, but it would also be a big change to the identity that made them good in the first place. 

The Pistons would be a very different team 

One of Detroit’s biggest strengths last season was their center depth with Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed. Stewart has already been shipped out for cap space and 2nd-round picks, so if the Pistons were to trade Duren as well, they’d be losing a big part of their identity from last season. 

Because he stunk in the playoffs, people tend to forget that Duren was actually very good last season, a lot better than Myles Turner, especially in the paint and on the boards. 

Duren also has great chemistry with Cade Cunningham, and the two are friends off the court, so there would be some big adjustments. 

But the idea is interesting, as the Pistons would suddenly have as much shooting as just about any team in the NBA, but they’d be re-defining their future in ways that may be too radical for them to stomach. 

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