The Detroit Pistons didn’t have to wait long to feel the sting of moving Isaiah Stewart.
Just five days after sending the backup center to the Memphis Grizzlies for three future second-round draft picks, Detroit is staring at a much messier reality than the one many assumed was coming. The Stewart deal was widely read as a move to clear the way for a new Jalen Duren contract and preserve flexibility for another addition. Instead, Duren has now made it clear he wants a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings.
Duren, 22, has become one of the most polarizing names in the 2026 free agency period. He put together a strong 2025-26 regular season, but his playoff performance fell short of expectations. That gap has made contract talks difficult, with Detroit trying to weigh what he can become against what he is right now.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Duren will pursue a sign-and-trade with Sacramento, a development that could seriously derail Detroit’s plans.
BREAKING: Due to sizable distance apart in negotiations, Detroit Pistons restricted free agent center Jalen Duren will meet with the Sacramento Kings at the start of free agency with the intentions of structuring a sign-&-trade out of Detroit. pic.twitter.com/rzUZWy2iJF
- Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 29, 2026
That leaves the Pistons in a tougher spot than they expected, especially on the defensive end. If Duren is indeed headed elsewhere, the Stewart trade starts to look a lot more painful because it removes one of the few bigs on the roster who could have helped patch over an interior hole.
There’s also the Sacramento angle. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Detroit would likely receive All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis in a trade with the Kings. That would give the Pistons a major offensive boost and another player who can ease the load on All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham.
But Sabonis comes with his own issue: defense. He’s viewed as a flawed defender, and that matters here. Without Stewart, Detroit would be without the interior anchor it had in 2025-26.
Stewart’s value was never subtle. In 2025-26, he ranked in the 99th percentile in rim protection, the 99th percentile in screener mobile defense, and the 93rd percentile in screener rim defense, according to Basketball Index. That’s the kind of profile that can clean up a lot of problems around the basket, especially next to an offense-first big like Sabonis.
Had Stewart still been in Detroit, he could have played behind Sabonis or alongside him, giving the Pistons a way to keep their defense intact while chasing more offense. Instead, that safety net is gone.
The Pistons do have a defensive-minded culture and plenty of good individual and team defenders, so this isn’t a total collapse waiting to happen. But the path forward is suddenly more complicated than it looked when Stewart was shipped out.
There’s still a chance Detroit and Duren find common ground. If they don’t, the Stewart trade could go from questionable to regrettable in a hurry.
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Powell has long made sense as the sort of scoring guard Detroit could use, a player who can lighten the burden on Cunningham and bring a more proven offensive presence to the rotation. If Miamis flexibility is now tighter than before, the Pistons could find themselves with a cleaner path to chase him once free agency opens, and that is the sort of opening front offices watch closely this time of year. [Read more 🡒]