Pistons Proposed to Trade Jalen Duren in Massive 7-Player Deal for Kyrie Irving

Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons are trapped in a summer stalemate. Duren has made his demand. The Pistons have drawn a line.

Who will blink first? 

Duren, 22, just turned in the best season of his young career, and the Pistons just had their best regular season in many years. If Duren stays and the Pistons move forward, the franchise has a bright future. But it appears both sides are far from seeing eye to eye.

“There’s been zero progress,” NBA insider Siegel said, referring to the ongoing Duren saga in Detroit.” “They don’t view him as a max-level guy … and that’s why the situation is going to continue to drag on. It’s gonna go on to late August, possibly early September, maybe even late September, and then past training camp … I’ve heard nothing about sign-and-trades; the Pistons are not interested in that. And everybody I talk to says Jalen Duren is not going to be taking the qualifying offer.”

An Potential Win-Win Trade Idea That Sends Jalen Duren from Pistons to West Team

GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – MAY 17: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons passes the ball against Max Strus #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter in Game Seven of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

If Duren continues to hold back and starts leaning toward accepting the qualifying offer, could the Pistons look toward a potential sign-and-trade? If Detroit decides to get bold and move Duren, there’s one player the team should look at before anyone else. That is Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving. 

Sure, acquiring Irving, a 34-year-old coming off a major injury, for the young and ascending Duren seems illogical. But in this proposed three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers, the Pistons potentially come away with a roster bound for next season’s Eastern Conference finals.

Pistons receive: Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, Cam Christie, a 2029 first round pick, a 2029 second round pick and a 2032 second round pick (via LAC)

Mavs receive: Jalen Duren (via sign-and-trade; four-year, $154.2 million contract), Duncan Robinson and a 2030 second round pick (via LAC)

Clippers receive: Ron Holland and Gary Harris

This three-team framework is hypothetical and intended as a reasonable suggestion. There is something for all three teams in this deal.

Why Detroit, Dallas and L.A. Do the Trade

The Mavs have shut down offers for Irving this summer, according to Siegel, but this is the kind of offer Dallas would have to strongly consider. 

“There’s been no trade talks over the last month regarding Kyrie Irving,” Siegel reported. “Teams reached out near the start of free agency to inquire about his availability … the teams we know that reached out, the Detroit Pistons were a team that reached out; we know the Minnesota Timberwolves reached out; I’m sure there’s a few other teams mixed in there.

“The message to them was Kyrie’s not available, and the Mavericks are not actively looking to trade him. They have not put him on the trade block.”

Dallas is reportedly looking forward to the Irving-Cooper Flagg duo next season, but moving Irving, a nine-time All-Star, while his trade value appears to be reasonably high could be a wise move.

Duren would be another franchise cornerstone to pair with Flagg, the 2026 Rookie of the Year, while moving out the older Gafford. In doing this trade, not only would the Mavs trim nearly $23 million in payroll, but they would also generate over $42 million in tax space. All that to land a 22-year-old All-NBA big man. Not bad.

The Clippers help facilitate the trade. They add Holland, a 21-year-old defensive ace, and a veteran bench scorer in Harris.

For the Pistons, Gafford is a serviceable replacement for Duren. (Don’t forget promising back up big man Paul Reed already in the mix!) The highlight addition is, of course, Irving, who averaged roughly 25 points per game in the 2024-25 season before he went down with a torn ACL.

The Pistons would be banking on Irving returning fully healthy and as the player he was before tearing his ACL. There is good reason to believe he will. And if does, Irving would be the perfect complement to ascending superstar point guard Cade Cunningham.

Would a lineup featuring Cunningham, Irving, Ausar Thompson and Gafford help Detroit secure its first conference finals appearance in nearly 20 years? 

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