Pistons predicted to trade for $120M three-level scorer to pair with Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Detroit Pistons had an interesting offseason but were able to get things under control as they prepared for the upcoming season. There were plenty of question marks surrounding how they would bring Jalen Duren back after the contract dispute.
However, they were able to get a deal done. Shortly after training camp began, the two sides agreed to a contract.
“All-NBA and All-Star center Jalen Duren has agreed to sign a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed contract to return to the Detroit Pistons, agent Chafie Fields of THE•TEAM tells ESPN. This ends a prolonged restricted free agency dispute between the two sides,” ESPN’s Shams Charania posted.
Not only did the Pistons bring back Duren, but they also secured another franchise player for the long term. Ausar Thompson received a significant extension just before training camp began.
“In other Pistons news, Ausar Thompson officially put pen to paper on his new 5yr/$155M contract extension. The Pistons now have Cunningham and Thompson officially on the books long-term, with Thompson’s deal coming in around 15% of the cap,” NBA insider Brett Siegel posted.
Still, the Pistons need more shooting. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz believes they could trade Ron Holland II and draft capital for a player like Tyler Herro.
“The ideal trade target would be a wing who can create for themselves and others, helping to keep the offense humming when Cunningham needs a break or hits an inevitable shooting slump. This list could include players like Tyler Herro. Detroit has all of its first-round picks moving forward, making a potential blockbuster more likely. Former No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland II could be used as trade bait, as the runway hasn’t been opened for him in Detroit to reach his potential,” Swartz wrote.
Shooting is a major need for Detroit, and Herro can score at all three levels. He also has NBA Finals experience from his time with the Miami Heat before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Herro is currently on a $120 million contract. Detroit knows it will need to add more scoring to complement its core, and a move for Herro could help address that need. Such a trade would also give Holland a chance to find a larger role in Milwaukee’s rotation.