The Detroit Pistons’ contract standoff with Jalen Duren has opened the door to a possible escape hatch, and Bleacher Report floated a deal that would send the young center to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the proposed trade, Detroit would move Duren and receive Myles Turner, Ryan Rollins, and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick. For a Pistons team trying to navigate an increasingly messy Duren situation, that package offers more than just a reset.
Turner is coming off a rough season and carries a questionable contract, but he was the starting center on an NBA Finals team a little more than a year ago. He also would cost less than what Duren is seeking, while giving Detroit a floor-spacing presence Duren does not provide. Green is also described as an underrated player who ranks among the best shooters in the NBA.
Add in the 2031 first-rounder, and the appeal for Detroit becomes pretty clear. The Bucks, meanwhile, would be unloading Turner’s contract, getting younger at center, and making an upgrade in the middle all at once.
It’s not the kind of move that changes everything overnight, but it could help Milwaukee speed up its next phase. Turner is 31 and would not move the needle much long term, while Duren, at 22, gives the Bucks a much different timeline.
Detroit would have reason to think hard about the offer, especially with negotiations going the way they are. If Duren is seriously considering the qualifying offer, the Pistons may have no choice but to explore a sign-and-trade.
This framework would give them an experienced starting center, a starting-caliber guard, and a first-round pick in return. The combined salary of the outgoing Bucks pieces would be $36.6 million, which is roughly the number Detroit is offering Duren annually.
Duren wants more than that, and if Milwaukee is willing to pay him closer to at least $40 million per year, the fit could start to make sense for both sides. It would also give Duren another option at a moment when he is stuck between a rock and a hard place and needs a team to step in besides the qualifying offer.
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For the Pistons, Murphy makes sense as the type of wing who can fit into a bigger-picture roster build, especially if New Orleans becomes motivated to move money. Detroit would likely have to get creative on the salary side, with Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter among the names floated as possible matches, but for now it remains a conversation about fit and flexibility rather than anything close to a done deal. [Read more 🡒]