The Sacramento Kings are still trying to muscle into the Jalen Duren sweepstakes, but the latest intel suggests they may have a clear lane - at least for now.
Duren, a restricted free agent center, met with both the Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers on the first day of free agency, and Sacramento has reportedly explored the possibility of a sign-and-trade with the Detroit Pistons to bring the All-Star big man in. But the market has already shifted.
One day after that meeting, the Lakers agreed to a sign-and-trade to acquire Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz, taking them out of the picture. The Boston Celtics, who were also linked to Duren, exited after signing Mitchell Robinson.
That leaves the Kings sitting as the top destination.
Still, getting Duren won’t be simple. Sacramento can’t just sign him outright. To land him, the Kings would either need to present a deal large enough to convince Detroit to let him go or work out a sign-and-trade that would likely send Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis to the Pistons.
The problem is that Detroit appears ready to shut the door. NBA insider Marc J.
Spears reported that the Pistons have "offered [Duren] what the franchise believes is the most lucrative contract possible." Spears also said the Pistons do not want to discuss sign-and-trade scenarios and plan to match any offer sheet Duren signs.
That lines up with Detroit’s stance in the broader market: the Pistons want to keep Duren, and they may be using this approach to discourage other teams from driving up the price. If Sacramento is going to pry him loose, it may need to come in with a huge offer and force Detroit to make a call it would rather avoid.
The Lakers’ move for Kessler also offered a useful reference point. Utah extracted two unprotected first-round picks, in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030. If the Kings want Duren, they may have to pay a similar price, or even more, to get Detroit’s attention.
That kind of cost would be steep, but Duren is viewed as the kind of 22-year-old center worth paying for. Sacramento could justify giving up future draft capital if it helps lock in a young core for the long haul.
The Kings have been floated as a team that could build around Duren and a group that includes Darius Acuff Jr., Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Alex Karaban, Emanuel Sharp, and Precious Achiuwa. That kind of foundation would make the price sting a little less.
But the sign-and-trade path may be fading. Early in the process, the expectation was that Sabonis would be the centerpiece going back to Detroit.
That no longer looks likely. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that the Pistons are not interested in acquiring Sabonis, writing, "Detroit has no interest in a sign-and-trade with the Kings that would have sent three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis their way."
It’s not hard to see why Detroit would pass. Sabonis is an accomplished All-Star and one of the best centers in the league when healthy, but he does not appear to be the clean fit the Pistons want next to All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham.
With Sabonis seemingly off the table, a sign-and-trade gets even tougher to pull off. Even so, Sacramento still has a shot to make its case and force Detroit into a decision on Duren.
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