The Bucks may have stumbled into a trade path that solves two problems at once, and Jalen Duren is the hinge point.
Milwaukee is staring at a crowded situation with Myles Turner after paying a steep price to bring him in, and the front office would likely prefer not to move him for a thin return. But if the Pistons get pushed into a sign-and-trade scenario with Duren, Detroit could become the cleanest landing spot for Turner - and a team willing to send draft capital back to the Bucks.
That kind of deal would make sense on both sides. Detroit has been building toward real contention, but its playoff shortcomings were obvious: the Pistons leaned on defense and interior strength during the regular season, yet their lack of shooting and creators caught up with them. Turner’s three-point shooting would help address that weakness right away.
For Milwaukee, moving Turner would open the door for Kel’el Ware, the younger center acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Ware has already shown enough promise to add something different to the Bucks’ offense, but Turner’s place on the depth chart is keeping that from happening. A trade would clear that logjam immediately.
The Bucks would also have a reason to keep Turner around if no deal materializes right away. Playing him enough to boost his trade value would protect their investment after they waived Damian Lillard to sign him. Still, Detroit’s need gives Milwaukee a possible future first-round pick route if the Pistons decide Turner is the right fit.
Everything comes back to Duren’s restricted free agency. The expectation is still that he stays in Detroit on a contract below his maximum, but there have been rumblings that he could instead take the qualifying offer and head toward unrestricted free agency next year. If that happens, the Pistons would have to move him and find another center, which would put Turner squarely in play.
Even if Duren simply re-signs, the Bucks are in a better spot than they were before. They have more flexibility now, more young talent to work with, and enough veteran pieces to interest teams that get desperate. That gives Milwaukee options, and in this case, options might be the most valuable thing on the board.
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