The Detroit Pistons faced Anthony Davis twice in a span four days, each time receiving a reminder as to how great of a player he truly is. The temptation may thus exist to revisit the offseason trade rumor that the Washington Wizards were open to trading Davis to Detroit for center Jalen Duren.
Though there is a strong case in favor of trading for Davis, the Pistons can't let their close-up look at his brilliance convince them to overlook the extensive risk involved in a potential trade.
Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported and then retracted the rumor that Washington would be open to swapping Davis for Duren. That would seemingly suggest that it's no longer on the table, but both sides have reason to pursue it in a more concrete manner.
While Washington is in the midst of a rebuild that Davis and Trae Young are attempting to expedite, Detroit is looking to win now. Age is thus a factor with Davis being 33 and Duren being 22.
The Pistons also have a glaring need for support on offense for franchise player Cade Cunningham. Davis would certainly provide it with his career average of 24.0 points per game. He's proven as much in the recent games against Detroit, scoring 44 points in the first encounter and 30 in the second.
Though the prospect of trading for an NBA champion and 10-time All-Star who ranks among the best big men of his generation is intriguing, the Pistons simply can't gamble on his availability.
Anthony Davis is still great, but injury history is a valid concern
Davis is certifiably elite when healthy, but that's been more of an if than a when as of late. He played 76 games in 2023-24, but otherwise missed at least 26 games in every season between 2020-21 and 2025-26. Whether fair or foul, that has to be considered.
With the Pistons already fairly thin in terms of scorers who can consistently create their own offense, giving up Duren for Davis simply isn't a rational endeavor.
It is worth noting that Duren has been sidelined for nine of the Pistons' first 11 games in 2026-27. He played at least 67 games in three of his first four seasons, however, and still managed to appear in 61 in the lone exception. He's also 22 and seemingly trending toward stardom of his own.
In 2025-26, Duren earned his first career All-NBA and All-Star nods with averages of 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.8 offensive boards, 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game.
Pistons are too close to contending to bet it all on one player
Yes, Duren struggled mightily during the 2026 NBA Playoffs. And yes, Davis is one of the best postseason performers of the 21st century. The conversation simply can't be boiled down to capabilities or talent levels without the additional context.
That not only includes Davis' injury, but the fact that he's 33 years of age and thus conceivably closer to exiting his prime than being at the peak of it.
Perhaps there is a path to trading for Davis without giving up one of Cunningham, Duren, or Ausar Thompson. If so, the conversation could change and the Pistons could find reason to gamble on the final two years on Davis' contract—with his 2027-28 salary being a part of a player option.
If any one of their core three players have to go, however, then the Pistons shouldn't let their recent experiences struggling to defend Davis convince them to pursue a trade.
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