Sacramento was already in the picture. Now Milwaukee is, too.
The Kings have signaled a willingness to pay Jalen Duren a max-salary deal next summer, and that alone would have made him one of the more closely watched names in the market. But the Bucks have also registered serious interest, turning what had looked like a Sacramento pursuit into a two-team contest for the Detroit center.
That matters because the Bucks are not just casually monitoring the situation. They have been described as seriously interested in Duren if his fallout with the Pistons continues, and one report says Milwaukee can only wait and watch to see whether he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2027. In other words, the Bucks are in the market, but the timing is not fully in their control.
Detroit’s side of the equation is just as important. The Pistons still view Duren as a foundational piece of their roster, even as the situation around him has become messy and training camp is approaching without a clear resolution. That tension is what has kept the market alive in the first place: Detroit’s internal valuation, Duren’s reported desire for a supermax deal, and the outside interest now coming from multiple teams.
The numbers help explain why the interest is real. Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field last season. But his postseason line was far less flattering, as he averaged just 10.2 points per game when Detroit bowed out in the conference semifinals. That drop-off has been part of the backdrop to the lower contract proposals Detroit has reportedly put forward.
For Sacramento, the challenge is no longer simply whether it wants Duren. It is whether it can outmaneuver another serious suitor. The Kings are also leaning into a youth movement, which makes a young center like Duren fit their direction, and they can potentially execute a sign-and-trade involving All-Star center Domantas Sabonis to get him. If Duren becomes available, the Kings will need to step up their efforts.
Milwaukee’s path looks less straightforward. A sign-and-trade this summer has been floated in theory, but it appears practically impossible. The Bucks’ interest still says something about where they want to be, though: even with uncertainty around their own direction, they are trying to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference and are keeping Duren on the radar.
So the market is no longer just Sacramento waiting on Detroit. Milwaukee has entered the conversation, and that changes the shape of the chase. If Duren’s situation in Detroit keeps moving toward a split, the next move may come down to which team is better positioned to act when the door opens.