Trade Proposal Sends Pistons’ Jalen Duren To Pelicans

One NBA analyst proposed that the New Orleans Pelicans acquire Jalen Duren from the Detroit Pistons. 

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade between the Pelicans and Pistons:

The Trade: The New Orleans Pelicans acquire Jalen Duren from the Detroit Pistons for Jordan Hawkins, 2026 first-round swap rights (via MIL) and a 2027 second-round pick (via CHI)

“New Orleans needs a starting big man, and Duren has the makings of one,” Hughes wrote in his NBA trade proposal. “Meanwhile, Detroit desperately needs dynamic shooting next to Cade Cunningham because its other prospects—notably Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey and Ron Holland—don’t provide any. Even if you’re not convinced Hawkins is a better player than Duren in a vacuum, you have to concede his ability to get up tons of threes on the move means something extra to a team like the Pistons.

“It’s difficult to judge how Duren might perform in games with actual stakes, but he’s a tremendous rebounder whose strength and athleticism would add even more explosive qualities to a Pelicans frontcourt that already gets a lot of that from Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. Stick him in the dunker spot as Zion rumbles downhill, and the lob opportunities would be plentiful. Duren has also shown flashes of intriguing passing, ranking in the 65th percentile among bigs in assist rate last year.”

For the Pistons last season, Duren averaged 13.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in 61 games while shooting 61.9% from the field and 79.0% from the free-throw line. He had 44 double-doubles. 

Duren was the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He has career averages of 11.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.8 blocks. 

A Memphis product, Duren will make $4.5 million next season. 

The Pelicans lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in four games, while the Pistons missed the postseason again.