The Sacramento Kings keep coming up as a possible landing spot for Jalen Duren, but the trade route that keeps getting floated is already off the table.
The idea that Detroit would send Duren to Sacramento in a sign-and-trade for Domantas Sabonis, with a couple of first-round picks attached, has been around all summer. It’s also been shut down. Sacramento already made that offer, and the Pistons turned it down.
Detroit’s hesitation on Sabonis makes sense within the framework of the report: the Pistons were not interested in bringing him in, in part because of his terrible three-point shooting and lackluster rim protection. Those are the same knocks that have kept other teams from jumping in on him, too.
On the Kings’ side, the latest version of the pitch has included the idea of adding multiple first-round picks to try to get Detroit to bite. But that doesn’t appear to be happening either. Kings general manager Scott Perry is described as exceptionally unlikely to part with picks for players unless he has no other choice.
That leaves Duren’s path to Sacramento looking much different. If he winds up there, it would be because he takes a qualifying offer now and then signs with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The timing would work for Sacramento because the payroll opens up then, once both Zach LaVine and De'Andre Hunter clock out.
There is still one scenario where a trade could re-enter the picture. If the Pistons re-sign Duren and later become desperate to move him because of locker room issues, then a deal could surface around the trade deadline in February. For now, though, the message from Detroit is clear: the front office wants Duren to stay a Piston.
In Other News...
Kings Interest In Jalen Duren Just Got A Lot More Serious
Jalen Durens contract situation in Detroit has suddenly become one of the more interesting plot lines on Sacramentos radar. After declining a five-year offer from the Pistons, he is now in a stalemate with the team as Thursdays deadline to accept a one-year qualifying offer approaches. For the Kings, that only sharpens the appeal of a big man who has already drawn mutual interest from Sacramento, whether through a trade or a future free-agent pursuit.
The catch is the same one that has shadowed Sacramentos pursuit from the start: the Kings do not have the cap room to sign Duren to a max deal right now. So the focus has turned to creating a path, and that has reportedly included exploring a Domantas Sabonis trade to clear the necessary space. If Sacramento can get that flexibility, Duren becomes a much more realistic target either before or during the 2026 season, or when he reaches free agency in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Kings New-Look Roster Is Already Fueling A Brutal 2026-27 Debate
On The Matt George Podcast, Josh Lloyd of Locked On Fantasy Basketball took a long look at where the Kings could be headed in 2026-27, and his read was not exactly comforting. He pointed to the possibility of defensive issues lingering on a roster that is still trying to sort out its identity, even as the front office adds new pieces and hopes the fit improves.
Lloyd also raised questions about whether newcomers Darius Acuff Jr. and DeAndre Hunter will live up to the expectations attached to them, which only adds to the uncertainty around Sacramentos next step. And if the Kings do decide Domantas Sabonis is part of the answer they want to move off of, Lloyd suggested they may have to be more realistic about the trade return than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Final Two-Way Spot May Be Down To One Young Guard
The Kings have brought Tristen Newton into 2024 training camp, putting the former UConn guard squarely in the mix for one of the team's two-way openings. Newton arrives with a G League-heavy resume and some real pedigree, since he was a 2024 second-round pick by the Pacers before Sacramento picked up his rights in a trade involving the Stockton Kings.
For a roster still sorting out its final developmental spot, Newton is the kind of player worth a long look: young, experienced in the G League grind, and familiar enough to the organization through the Stockton connection. He also went on to earn All-NBA G League First Team honors in 2026, which only adds to the intrigue around whether the Kings see him as the right fit for that last two-way slot. [Read more 🡒]