The Kings have been linked to Jalen Duren before, and that idea could come back around again. But even with that old mutual interest hanging in the background, Sacramento doesn’t look like the right landing spot.
Detroit’s center is in the middle of a messy standoff with the Pistons. Duren just turned in his best season yet in 2025-2026, earning his first All-Star nod and his first All-NBA Third Team selection. He clearly played his way into a major payday, and that’s exactly what he’s now seeking.
The problem is that Detroit isn’t ready to hand over the kind of money he wants. His playoff play was uneven, and at times flat-out poor, which has made the Pistons hesitant to meet his asking price.
That tension pushed Duren to explore his market as a restricted free agent, and Sacramento was the only team reported to show serious interest. Even then, the deal never got off the ground.
The Kings didn’t have cap space, and Detroit wasn’t interested in a sign-and-trade built around Domantas Sabonis.
That doesn’t necessarily end the story. Sacramento Kings on SI noted that if Duren takes the qualifying offer for 2026-2027, he would become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. At that point, with Zach LaVine’s contract also expiring, the Kings could circle back.
But they probably shouldn’t.
Sacramento’s biggest roster issue has been the lack of flexibility tied up in expensive long-term contracts, and Duren would only add to that same problem. If the Kings move on from LaVine, repeating the pattern with another pricey deal would run against everything they should be trying to fix.
There’s also the simple matter of the depth chart. Sabonis is already locked in at center through 2028, and the Kings have three more bigs on hand in Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, and Precious Achiuwa.
That’s already a crowded group. Bringing in Duren would just make it tighter.
The Kings don’t need another center. What they need is more point guards, along with fewer shooting guards. Duren is a quality player, but for a team with Sabonis in place and multiple other bigs already on the roster, the fit - and the price tag - just don’t line up.
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