The Sacramento Kings have a new problem on their hands after Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons reached an agreement on a contract extension Thursday, October 1st, 2026.
For much of the offseason, reports had the Kings chasing the Pistons center. That pursuit now has to end, because Duren is staying in Detroit on a five-year, $200 million deal.
There had been some belief that Duren might take the one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer and head toward unrestricted free agency next offseason. Instead, he chose the long-term security of an extension. One detail in the negotiations appears to have mattered: the Pistons had a weight clause in the contract that required monthly weigh-ins during the season, but that language was removed earlier this week.
Duren was eligible for a deal worth as much as five years and $287 million, but after what was described as an inconsistent postseason, the final number came in at five years and $200 million. Both sides agreed, and the Pistons now have him locked in for the next few seasons.
That leaves Sacramento with more questions than answers. The Kings had been exploring ways to trade Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis in order to create the cap space needed to chase Duren and put him on a max deal. That route is now off the table.
So the focus shifts back to the Kings’ veteran contracts, and there is plenty to sort through. LaVine, Sabonis and DeAndre Hunter are all making significant money, and all three are at least 30 years old while Sacramento is trying to get younger.
The hope, at least with LaVine and Sabonis, is that they can play well enough to raise their trade value. Right now, that market is not strong. Sabonis, in particular, has been reported to have negative value in trade talks.
Hunter and LaVine are easier to manage in one respect: both are set to become unrestricted free agents after the season, so Sacramento would not have to keep them beyond 2027 if it chooses not to.
Sabonis is the tougher case. He is under contract for this season and next season, which means moving on from him would require a trade.
With Duren no longer available, the Kings’ next move becomes even more important. If they can clear a meaningful amount of cap space, they could position themselves to add younger talent and give the front office more room to build for the future.
In Other News...
Kings Fans May Need To Rethink The Sabonis Trade Talk
Trade chatter around Domantas Sabonis has lingered, but the Kings continue to operate as if their frontcourt anchor is still part of the long-term plan. Sacramento has had discussions with teams such as the Raptors and Hornets, yet the combination of a steep asking price and Saboniss large contract has made any real movement difficult to line up.
Sabonis also seems to be brushing off the speculation in public, which only adds to the sense that this is more noise than momentum right now. For Kings fans trying to read the tea leaves, the clearest sign may be the simplest one: unless something changes dramatically, Sabonis is expected to remain in Sacramento at least through the life of his deal, which runs until 2028. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Big-Man Decision Fans Will Definitely Debate
Domantas Sabonis changing agents has only added another layer to a summer of chatter around the Kings center, especially with Sacramento already linked to trade discussions that could reshape its frontcourt. A report surfaced that the Kings floated Sabonis to Detroit in a deal centered on Jalen Duren, a proposal the Pistons turned down, which is the kind of move that immediately tells you how highly opposing teams are valuing their young big men.
The bigger wrinkle now is the possibility of a multi-team deal that could send Sabonis to Toronto, with Charlotte and the Clippers also mentioned in the mix. For Sacramento, it underscores how wide the market could be if the Kings decide to keep pressing the issue, and for everyone else involved it leaves the sort of big-man decision that tends to spark plenty of debate before anything actually gets done. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Is Trying To Change How Kings Fans See Him
Ben Simmons spent his year away from the NBA trying to reset both his body and the conversation around him, and he is now asking fans to see the full picture. Speaking with NBA insider Chris Haynes, Simmons pushed back on what he called false narratives from media outlets like ESPN about his absence and his commitment to basketball, saying his time off stemmed from physical health issues and recovery rather than a fading interest in the game.
Now under a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, Simmons is trying to revive a career that has been defined as much by debate as by production. For Kings fans, the interest is obvious: can a player with his track record and versatility become a useful piece in the right setting, and can he do it while finally putting the old storylines behind him? [Read more 🡒]