The Bucks have benefitted from trades with the Pistons already this offseason, but they should be careful if Detroit comes to them offering Jalen Duren. On paper, Duren would be a great piece for a rebuilding team to add: he’s just 22 years old and coming off his first season as both an All-Star and All-NBA selection. But Duren also brings concerns which have held the Pistons back from extending him so far this offseason.
Jalen Duren could be a Trojan horse trade target
In a mock sign-and-trade proposal, the Pistons would send Duren to Milwaukee in exchange for Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner. Pistons fans are rightfully intrigued by this prospect, since it gives them a couple perfect pieces and takes Duren’s nightmare contract negotiations off their hands. However, it’s a risky gambit to run for the Bucks.
Not only would this trade proposal send away the Bucks’ best trade chip in Rollins, but it would also bring back a player with a lot of his own question marks. Duren was fantastic in the 2025-26 regular season but saw a steep decline in playoff production. He went from averaging nearly 20 points per game in the regular season to barely cracking 10 a night in the postseason.
Even if the Bucks don’t expect to make the playoffs again for a couple years, Duren’s huge falloff should raise a red flag. Clearly his impact can be neutralized with the right scheme and personnel. After such a high-profile dropoff for the top-seeded Pistons, the entire league now has a blueprint to stop Duren.
The Bucks need more to take on this trade
Duren’s trade value has also lowered because of his contract disputes this summer. By making All-NBA last season, he became eligible for a 5-year/$287 million supermax extension. But no one in their right mind, including the Pistons, is willing to offer him that following his playoff disappointment.
He still remains unsigned as a restricted free agent, but is expected to return to Detroit on a cheaper (and maybe shorter) deal unless the Pistons find a sign-and-trade partner. Trading him for Turner and Rollins makes sense from the Pistons perspective, but would be taking on a huge risk and contract for the Bucks. If they do make this deal, Milwaukee should be seeking extra draft compensation as well to mitigate the risk of adding Duren on a big deal.
At that point, the trade could be worthwhile for both sides, depending on the exact picks and protections coming back. The Pistons may not have the best draft picks to offer considering their own regular season dominance but they can still serve as sweeteners in a big trade. If picks aren’t coming back, trading for Duren is too risky a proposition for the Bucks to even entertain.
Add us as a preferred source on Google