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Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons reacts against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on March 17, 2026 in Washington, DC.
The Detroit Pistons will be forced to make a huge decision for the future of their franchise when it comes to free agent center Jalen Duren. A terrible postseason soured fans on the breakout season of Duren making his first All-Star team as the second-best player on a 60+ win team. Duren’s All-NBA third team selection gives him the chance to request even more money after earning the perk of being eligible for more money.
If Detroit doesn’t want to overpay a flawed young name, they could float a sign and trade for Kawhi Leonard. A realistic trade was pitched by Fadeaway World to help both teams’ current problems:
“Detroit Pistons Receive: Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Jalen Duren, Caris LeVert
In that sense, this is all about fixing playoff offense for the Pistons. In the postseason, too many possessions became Cade Cunningham alone against a loaded defense. There was not enough second-side scoring, not enough shooting gravity, and not enough pressure from another star wing. Kawhi changes that.”
Detroit badly needs another trusted scorer and someone capable of creating their own offense. Superstar Cade Cunningham and backup guard Daniss Jenkins are the only Pistons who were able to make plays during moments of immense struggling this postseason.
Why Clippers Would Welcome This Trade
Both Duren and Caris LeVert would join the Los Angeles Clippers and continue changing their roster. The Clippers made a big move this season by trading away both James Harden and Ivica Zubac to prioritize the future.
Younger players Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin already make them younger as new building blocks moving forward. Duren is a young center who has proven he can be an All-NBA caliber regular season player and averaged an easy double double this season.
The Clippers could be tempted to go after the best youngest talent on the market this season and hope that experience helps fix his flaws. Duren would have a similar role to Detroit with Garland as his new running mate instead of Cunningham. The question is whether the Clippers like Duren enough to pay him between $30 to $40 million per season.
This Is The Perfect Pistons Trade
Detroit will have to take a gamble on another star player at some point, if they want to truly contend for an NBA Championship. Leonard has the best overall playoff experience of any active player, outside of LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Two NBA Championships and two NBA Finals MVPs made Kawhi a postseason legend to cement his legacy. Last season showed that Leonard can still be a top ten player in the league when he’s healthy and not forced to miss a lot of time.
This trade allows Detroit to improve the roster and avoid paying Duren money that could limit their long-term future of making moves. Kawhi is a rental that boosts their playoff hopes for a couple of seasons, and they can move on if it doesn’t work. The money will be freed up faster and give the Pistons more flexibility to keep adjusting around Cunningham.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford