In order to fill their need for a new center, the New York Knicks may look to the NBA trade market. Isaiah Hartenstein was a free agent that New York lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mitchell Robinson is still a member of the Knicks, but his previous history of injuries raises questions. Robinson only participated in 31 games in the 2023–24 campaign. The Knicks would be prudent to have some additional insurance behind Robinson, at the absolute least.
Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons is among the top big guys on SNY.TV’s David Vertsberger’s list of possible trade targets.
How might the Knicks go about obtaining the former NBA lottery pick? According to Vertsberger, the deal could be completed with a transaction that included three protected first-round picks and a few future second-round selections.
Is It Possible for the Pistons to Give Jalen Duren to the Knicks in Exchange?
It is difficult to see Detroit’s situation getting worse. Considering that it seems the Pistons have a long way to go before they can start competing once more, the thought of receiving future draft capital in return for Duren would be tempting.
Vertsberger wrote in a July 24, 2024, story titled “5 potential Knicks trades for a center ahead of the 2024–25 NBA season,” “What irony it would be if the Knicks dealt, likely as part of a larger package, the 2025 first-round Bucks pick they received from Detroit for salary dumping Kemba Walker, for the very player they dealt away as part of that trade.” “Duren has found himself in a somewhat cluttered Pistons big man rotation after a promising but inconsistent first couple of seasons.”
“New York might take a chance on an intriguing prospect who won’t have a lot of pressure coming off the bench if Detroit is willing to let go of him in order to make way. His contract can be covered by their trade exception, and even though they only have a small amount of draft capital left, they can shop three of their protected selections to other teams in addition to seconds and possibly a future trade.
The Pistons Center Last NBA Season, Jalen Duren Averaged a Double-Double
Duren makes sense for the Knicks for three main reasons: his experience as a starter, his team-friendly contract, and his upside as a former lottery choice. Prior to dealing the center to the Pistons, the Charlotte Hornets selected Duren with the No. 13 choice in the 2022 NBA Draft.
In 60 games as a starter for Detroit last season, Duren averaged a double-double. In 61 games in 2023–24, the big man averaged 13.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per contest.
Duren would come to the Knicks on a team-friendly $19.4 million, four-year rookie contract. With two seasons left on his contract, Duren will become a restricted free agent in 2026. The center has a 2024–2025 cap hit of $4.5 million.
Duren was mentioned by Vertsberger as a possible backup center for the Knicks. Nevertheless, considering the improvement in skill that would surround Duren in the Big Apple, the big man may contend for a starting position in New York.
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