Remember how fun last summer’s endless Jonathan Kuminga rumors were? Well get ready for a new round of Restricted Free Agency Extravaganza as the Kings are reportedly set to meet with Detroit Pistons free agent Jalen Duren. Duren, like Kuminga, is a restricted free agent this summer and has reportedly been underwhelmed by the Pistons’ contract offers as he seeks his first big NBA payday. Duren is just 22 years old and made both the All-Star and All-NBA 3rd team this year as the Pistons finished 1st in the Eastern Conference. Duren averaged 19.5 points on 65% from the field to go with 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in 70 games. Duren also finished 11th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
NBA TV’s Chris Haynes was the first to report the Kings scheduled meeting with Duren at the start of Free Agency tomorrow, with the Athletic’s Sam Amick later confirming. The Kings don’t have any cap space so any signing would have to involve a sign-and-trade scenario, with Amick reporting that the most likely scenario would involve Domantas Sabonis going back to Detroit. However the Kings aren’t the only ones trying to pry Duren away from the Pistons, as Amick later reported that he has a call scheduled with the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow morning as well. The Lakers would have far more leverage than the Kings, because they would actually be able to sign Duren to an offer sheet and force Detroit to match as they have a significant amount of cap space heading into the offseason.
Reporting on @NBATV about Jalen Duren’s preference to sign with the Sacramento Kings and the dilemma the Detroit Pistons are faced with: pic.twitter.com/DGrCppcMf8
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2026
We’ve seen this song and dance from the Kings with free agents before, and the overwhelming possibility is that this is simply a leverage play by Duren and his camp to extract more value from the Pistons. For what it’s worth, Haynes was on ESPN 1320 with Damien Barling and KC and said that Duren “has made it clear that this is where he wants to be.” But the Kings hold little leverage if Detroit doesn’t like their offer, and Domantas Sabonis alone likely wouldn’t be enough to entice them. I would have to assume that the Kings would also need to include first round draft capital to move the needle. Fortunately, unlike their second round picks, the Kings do have (almost) full control of their future first rounders, and a talent like Duren might be worth parting with some.
In order to pry Duren away, the Kings would likely be looking at signing him to a max or near-max deal for 4 years, estimated to be worth around $40-44 million annually. That’s roughly in line with what Domantas Sabonis is already making, but Duren would be far younger and give the Kings potentially the best defensive center they’ve ever had. Duren was the backstop for a Pistons team that finished 2nd in defensive rating last season. Offensively, Duren is fairly limited in what he can do and that was exposed a bit in the playoffs, where his scoring dipped to just 10.2 points on 51.4% shooting. Over half of Duren’s field goal attempts come at the rim, and almost the entirety of the rest of them is within 3-10 feet.
Still, this is an aggressive move that would definitely leave me feeling more optimistic about this team’s future (assuming any trade only involves one fully unprotected pick. I’d be hesitant to include two or more). Duren fits this team’s new timeline around Darius Acuff as well as provides the size, physicality and defense that this team desperately needs. I have my doubts that the Kings will actually be able to pull it off, but hats off for at least trying.
Reposting this from the other thread because I think it is relevant. Full disclosure, I’m no cap expert and this could be totally wrong, but I got the info from a Duren sign and trade discussion on a Pistons reddit and my brief research in to BYC rules with sign and trades checks out:
Ok, so looking at the numbers the most Duren can sign in FA is for 4 years at $177M. The Pistons, however, can sign him to a 5 year $287M deal!! That’s why they are balking. That’s crazy money for Andre Drummond 2.0.
The wrinkle is in a S&T the Pistons can only count 50% of Duren’s base year compensation. So a max deal accounts for 30% of the cap (roughly $50M per year) but the Pistons can only use 50% of that in trade. This rule is in place to prevent team from signing players to bloated/overpaid deals to immediately be used in trades.
This means the Pistons would only be allowed to get a return of roughly $25M in a max sign and trade of Duren.
That means no Sabonis or LaVine in a swap, but two dudes who have numbers around there are Keegan and Hunter.
If this info is inaccurate, please correct me.
In the end, I think this is just a leverage move by Duren’s camp and the Lakers scenario feels far more likely. He’d be great with Luka.
I’ve been asking about this as well and it’s only a problem if Detroit stays an over the cap team. But BYC only kicks in if you’re over the cap. If you’re below the cap, which is something the Pistons can get to with renouncing their cap holds on most of their free agents (Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley), etc. then BYC won’t kick in.
Ok, that makes sense. Should they do that then maybe a swap for Sabonis…or even LaVine could work within the rules.
Still, I’m not sure why Detroit thinks Sabonis is better then Duran on near matching salaries. Would it be the length of contract?
What do they know that we don’t know?
Like Orlando who just can’t score enough- maybe they just feel that the addition of offense outweighs the lessened defense that Domas supplies. Maybe they just don’t like the guy or he feels that the playoffs have tarnished him and he needs to move on.
Maybe it’s just the weather.
Ja to Portland still has me shaking my head Ja, Dame, Jrue, Scoot – do new owners have a thing for guards? Seems a very unbalanced roster to me (Clingan and Deni and Toumani in the frontcourt backed up my Yang Hansen -that’s it)
Maybe they are planning on flipping a bunch of those dudes for someone else? Jaylen Brown? I dunno, makes no sense to me either.
If Duren signs a 4 yr $177 mil contract, the Kings need $7 mil cap space to do a S & T using Domas. Sending Carter for nothing (5.8 mil?) and declining TO on Hayes (3 mil?) gets them over that. But if they do a sign and trade, wont they kiss that 15.8 mil MLE goodbye?
If they waive and stretch DDR, they get $20 to 30 mil cap space. Damn.
The 4 year $177M is what he would most likely be signing with the Lakers in free agency as they have the space. I’d imagine the Pistons would match that.
What the Pistons appear not wanting to do is give him the 5 year max of $287M, of which they can only offer. I don’t blame them for that because he’s not worth it, IMO.
If I were to guess, The Pistons and Duran will agree to a number between those two with a PO thrown in there at year 3 or 4. Something like a 4 year $200M, so if Duran continues to ball out he could opt out the final year and get a super max on his next deal.
Finally. Not sure why this took so long.
Just guessing – looking to see if they could use him as part of a trade. But who knows?
Not just Kings – but it sure is shaping up to be a very exciting Free Agency/Off Season around the League.
Duran would probably prefer LAL but it sounds like the $ is less.
If Detroit balks on signing him, and the money is too low in LA, then the Kings might be the next best offer.
I would do this straight up DS for JD. How many picks would I add . No more than one and it would be a swap
Detroit is close in the East- had best record and could not hold that
My dream trade Duran for Zach.
What a hoot that would be.
Duren for Zach? Yeah, I might include some picks in that. There is a scenario where Duren and Sabonis could share the floor together. What that scenario is, however, is far above Doug Christie’s pay grade.
This won’t happen. Vivek’s ego being used against the Kangz. Again. By Feb trade deadline, Domas gets traded to a team he prefers, following Fox’s strategy, and the Kangz get fleeced again. Rinse and repeat.
Just stay put and let the contracts expire you moronic FO.
I don’t hate it? Of all the dumb things the Kings could do, this is pretty low on the list assuming it doesn’t cost too much draft compensation. Swapping Sabonis for a 22 year old all NBA center is certainly worth a shot. As usual, I highly doubt it happens given his RFA status but I suppose it’s worth a shot.
Not even seriously contemplating it
Detroit won’t let him go after the season and fit they had/have
What would you think about a Duran, Murray, Max front court if we could actually pull this off? Seems like Max would have to be a mostly perimeter guy as Duran’s game doesn’t really exist outside of the rim area.
Like half of Max’s shot attempt last season were from 3-10ft of the rim. I don’t see him being a perimeter player like they need next to Duren.
Max might be able to stretch his game a bit, which is probably what the Kings intend to try with him.
LeBron not coming back to the Lakers. That seems like a pretty clear runway for Duren.
Lebron wasn’t the face of the Lakers anymore, so he took his ball and went home.
Yup, but I think he’s gonna want more that the max the Lakers can give him in free agency. I think they would still need to work out a S&T for more than the 4 year $177M, but do they have the assets to pull it off?
Ye of little faith.
The King. The Kings. Two roster slots open so they can also add Bronny.
Bingo!
The quicker picker upper!
It would guarantee a Sacramento first.
Christmas Game!
It kind of comes down to whether the Pistons would prefer Domas or no Domas, I suppose. Or maybe the Lakers pivot to Kessler.
Yup, Pistons do control things here. I highly doubt they let Duren walk for nothing to the Lakers. Kings may provide a better return for Detroit as they are not looking for picks, but rather players to contend.
To that point, I could see the Pistons wanting Keegan as a sweetener in a Duren/Sabonis swap as they don’t have a PF. Maybe they’d want Hunter or Monk, but I doubt it.
Something like Duren and filler (LeVert?) for Sabonis and Keegan. Kings could then cut DDR and go give the full MLE to someone like John Collins, Rui or *gasp*…Kuminga.
In a perfect world they’d ask for Sabonis and LaVine. One can dream.
Does Keegan have positive value with his “offensive development” and recent injuries which th his contract?
Not sure the Kings have enough non Acuff to entice Detroit
I think he does. He’s a buy low candidate right now, IMO. There is a reason the Warriors were insistent on him being included in any Kuminga package last summer.
More information on the Devin Carter blockbuster:
The Kings have attained the draft rights to Alpha Kaba from the Hawks, a 6-10 Forward/Center from France, who was MVP of the ING Basketball Super Ligi in 2021. He also led the Adriatic League in Rebounding in 2016-17, as well as winning Euro Cup Player of the Week in November of 2021.
Kaba most recently played in South Korea, after stops in Spain, China, Guinea, Turkey, Libya, France, Montenegro, and Israel, before being replaced by UC Santa Barbara & Japanese B League legend Alan Williams.
Only 30 years old, and a strong athletic 6-10 with international seasoning, could be a hidden gem in case they can’t get Duren this off season, and Sabonis, Maxime, & Cardwell all go down with injury, and every possible veteran and G-League big man are unavailable.
SP got us a true Alpha!
Carter’s hairline looks 30 so seems fair
Well done Klam.
Thank you! 🙂
Damn auto-correct.
Perhaps I should just add “well done Kfan” to my signature, so you are credited in perpituity for your contributions.
Perhaps everyone should do that. 😀
LOL!
yes to adding Duren. I’m a big fan of Sabonis, but a Sabonis for Duren trade make sense.
Duren and his agent are using the Kings to leverage a better deal with Detroit. The Pistons are not interested in acquiring Sabonis. I would guess they’d want Keegan in a deal.
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