If Jalen Duren truly is unwilling to re-sign with the Detroit Pistons, as suggested by the latest news from ESPN's Shams Charania that the center turned down a five-year, $200 million deal, the team needs to find a sign-and-trade partner, and fast. Depending on what they get in return for the 22-year-old, they may still need to find a quality starting center.
We know the Kings are interested in Duren, but that would leave Detroit with Domantas Sabonis, which could net the Pistons more assets because he's older (30), but it wouldn't be an upgrade, especially because of his contract. He's owed $45.4 million this season and $48.6 million in 2027-28.
Detroit could use the picks it got from Sacramento in a potential deal for an upgrade, but as we've seen, the Pistons would have to give up a lot to get that kind of player.
The Pacers traded Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2026 first-round pick (which landed at No. 5), a 2029 first-round pick, and a second-round pick to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac before the February deadline.
The Lakers traded two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz for Walker Kessler earlier this summer, and they signed him to a four-year, $130 million deal. He's coming off a season where he played only five games after undergoing surgery, and he's never played in the playoffs, which isn't his fault, but it just goes to show how centers are being valued.
Replacing Jalen Duren would be expensive
As things stand, the Pistons' best bet would be to send Duren to the Bucks, another team interested in him (subscription required), as The Athletic reported. Whether Milwaukee would actually pay for the center is another question, but if both sides agreed to a deal, Myles Turner would be on his way to Detroit.
He'd be a better option for the Pistons than Sabonis. Turner has three years left on the four-year deal he signed with the Bucks last summer, including a $29 million player option in 2028-29. While he is overpaid, his ability to space the floor would be a plus, but he's not much of a rebounder (he averaged a career-low 5.3 per game last season).
Still, Turner's arrival could prompt Detroit to look to replace him before the deadline or next offseason, putting the Pistons back on the hunt for a center. They're trying to build on last year's success by making a deeper playoff run, rather than taking two steps back.
Paying Duren $200 million would be expensive, but Detroit will have to spend big one way or another; it is just a matter of whether it's in money, assets, or both.
Add us as a preferred source on Google