Jalen Duren had an eventful 2022 draft night: the Hornets selected him with the No. 13 pick, traded him to the New York Knicks, and then he was traded to the Pistons, where he's spent the past four seasons. Detroit hopes the fifth won't be his last in Michigan, as the two sides still haven't agreed on a new deal in restricted free agency. The center is considering what life could look like elsewhere, specifically in Sacramento.
The Kings were one of the teams Duren met with at the start of free agency, since he knew he wouldn't get the kind of money he wanted from the Pistons. He already had a relationship with one person in Sacramento's front office. Scott Perry, who was with the Knicks in 2022 when they briefly had the center, is the Kings' GM.
Marc Spears said on Monday's episode of ESPN's NBA Today that Duren "likes" Perry and the Kings "a lot," but the Pistons are focused on bringing him back. Look at how that's gone up to this point.
If Duren accepts his $9.6 million qualifying offer, he'd become an unrestricted free agent next season. Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported last Friday that the Kings "still have very strong interest" in Duren and that they could sign him to a max deal next summer if they want (subscription required).
Perry wanted Duren in New York, but could finally get him in Sacramento.
Jalen Duren likes Scott Perry and the Kings
To think that the Knicks are playing a role in Duren's free agency, all because they acquired him on draft night in 2022, before sending him to the Pistons. No one knew then how the center's situation would play out, since he could bet on himself and leave Detroit with nothing to team up with Perry in Sacramento.
It might've seemed like New York was doing Detroit a favor by sending Duren to the Pistons as they worked to clear cap space to sign Jalen Brunson in free agency, and that seemed to be the case this past season, as the center made All-NBA and earned his first All-Star nod.
The Pistons' main order of business entering the offseason was to lock down the center. Still, training camp is only a couple of weeks away, and he wants more than $200 million over five years, rather than the five-year, $190 million deal Detroit has on the table (subscription required), as The Athletic reported.
You're probably wondering why Duren would risk turning down that money, especially with the hope of playing for the Kings, and you're not alone. Spears said he heard that it isn't about money when it comes to the center, but if Sacramento is part of the conversation, it has to be about money, right?
Pistons' relationship with Duren has taken a hit
Spears said Duren feels "disrespected" by the Pistons, which aligns with other reports, such as the center receiving information he shouldn't hear, including that the Pistons value Ausar Thompson over him. It's gotten quite messy, so Detroit has its work cut out for it if the two sides agree to a new deal.
Even if Duren takes his qualifying offer, the Pistons wouldn't want his situation to become a distraction once the team gets back together, though at this point, that seems inevitable. It's not the position the Pistons want to be in as they look to build on last season's success, finishing atop the East and reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2008.
Based on the offseason, they haven't closed the gap with the Knicks. If anything, the opposite has happened, and that will ring even truer if the Pistons and Duren fail to get on the same page. If he could have it his way, he might wish he were already in Sacramento right about now.
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