The Pistons reportedly rejected a Kings sign-and-trade offer involving Domantas Sabonis because Detroit remains determined to keep Jalen Duren despite his contract standoff.
The Sacramento Kings reportedly tried to land Jalen Duren in a sign-and-trade scenario, but the Detroit Pistons were not interested in moving their young All-Star center.
According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel on the Clutch Scoops podcast, Sacramento made an offer that would have sent Domantas Sabonis to Detroit in exchange for Duren.
"The Kings were a team early on that had interest in Jalen Duren," Siegel said. "They made an offer of Domantas Sabonis to go back to the Pistons in order to try to get Jalen Duren in a sign-and-trade scenario."
However, Detroit quickly shut down the idea.
"Something the Pistons were not willing to negotiate," Siegel added.
Pistons want to keep Duren
Duren remains one of the biggest unresolved restricted free agents on the market, with the two sides reportedly apart on his next contract.
According to Siegel, Duren and his camp believe he should be paid like one of the top centers in the league, while Detroit wants to keep the deal below the max level.
"He's been at odds with the Pistons over how much he's worth," Siegel said. "He and his agent think that they're worth a max-level player, where he's an All-Star, All-NBA talent, and he's deservingly so to be paid as one of the top centers."
Still, the Pistons have not shown interest in sign-and-trade scenarios.
"The Pistons, they don't want to exceed around that $30 million mark, $35 million mark for Jalen Duren," Siegel said. "They really believe that they can bring him back, and that's why they've turned down all sign-and-trade requests for him."
Credit Alamy - Scanpix
Duren's playoff struggles changed his leverage
Duren is coming off a strong regular season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 70 games, earning his first All-Star selection.
However, his playoff performance weakened his negotiating position, as he averaged only 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 51.4% from the field.
Siegel pointed to that postseason drop-off as one of the reasons Detroit is hesitant to meet his max-contract demand.
"But after the playoff performance that he had, the multiple duds and non-shows and even being benched at times for Paul Reed, who's being paid a minimum contract by the Pistons, just not a good look for Duren," Siegel said.
Despite that, Siegel expects Detroit and Duren to eventually find a long-term solution.
"Are they going to fold and give Jalen Duren the max? Very unlikely," Siegel said. "Are they going to wind up agreeing with Jalen Duren on a deal that is team-friendly? Maybe, right now I'd rank that at 50%."
"Ultimately, I think that they're going to get some type of four-year, five-year deal figured out," he added. "It's just a matter of what that price range looks like for the Pistons."
Credit Imagn Images - Scanpix
Kings tried to reshape frontcourt with Duren
Sacramento's reported interest in Duren is notable because Sabonis has been the centerpiece of the Kings' frontcourt in recent years.
Sabonis, a three-time NBA All-Star, averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the 2025-26 season before the knee injury ended his campaign prematurely.
For his career, Sabonis has averaged 16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists across stops with Oklahoma City, Indiana, and Sacramento.
Still, the Pistons appear committed to keeping Duren next to Cade Cunningham instead of replacing him with the more experienced Sabonis.
"Some other teams that have called to check in Jalen Duren, they've basically said no, that they are going to bring him back," Siegel said.
Credit Image AP – Scanpix
If Duren and Detroit do not reach an agreement soon, one possible pressure point could be the qualifying offer, similar to last offseason's Jonathan Kuminga situation. However, Siegel said that would be a risky path for Duren.
"Could this be like the Jonathan Kuminga situation where he threatens to take the qualifying offer, and would he actually follow through with that?" Siegel said. "I think that that would be a big mistake on Jalen Duren's part.
"Simply because he's an All-Star, All-NBA talent, and you're risking going on a qualifying offer for a year where anything can change, your role can change, you can get injured, and then you don't have that long-term security."
[
Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.](https://basketnews.com/plus?utm_source=basketnews_com&utm_medium=bn_plus&utm_id=UA-259273-31&utm_campaign=banners_free_content_for_not_members_bottom_5)
If you like our content, please and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.