Jalen Duren is Enticing, but Dangerous, for the Bucks

Even when the NBA offseason hits the uneventful stages, there's always something going on. The Detroit Pistons and center Jalen Duren have been going back and forth when it's came to his contract negations this offseason and both sides have failed to come to an agreement.

Duren is coming off the best season of his career where he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on 65% shooting from the field. As he helped lead his team to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2007, Duren racked up big accolades this season, being named an All-Star and was selected to the All-NBA third Team.

Those accolades Duren received, made him eligible for a five-year maximum extension worth up to $287 million, but the Pistons offered him a $200 million contract that includes no team or player options and is fully guaranteed according to Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.

As the two sides navigate these negations, the Milwaukee Bucks are one of the teams that have showed interest in the 22-year-old if Duren and the Pistons can't see eye to eye.

The Milwaukee Bucks have serious interest in Jalen Duren, per @sam_amick

“Still, Duren’s confidence is born out of the fact that his market for next summer looks quite robust. As The Athletic previously reported, the Sacramento Kings have signaled a willingness to pay him a… pic.twitter.com/dIIG0W8Y0V
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 21, 2026

If the Bucks are serious about pursing Duren it raises the question: Is the risk of going after Duren worth the reward for Milwaukee?

Here's what some of our panelists think.

Ti Windisch

Yes, going after Jalen Duren is worth the risk for the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee doesn’t need depth at the center position, but upgrading Myles Turner to Jalen Duren gives the Bucks another foundational core player.

Adding a 22-year-old All-NBA center (even one coming off a terrible playoff run) is a great way to start a rebuild and give the Bucks young guards an elite pick-and-roll partner as they develop.

Milwaukee shouldn’t spend too much on trade assets *and* give Duren a massive deal, but if Detroit is really ready to move on, the Bucks would be smart to grab Duren even if it’s on a big contract.

Ryan Kaminski

Almost definitely. This Milwaukee roster is relatively barren of talent after sending the Greek Freak off to Miami, especially as far as established long-term prospects in the frontcourt. With the Bucks searching for potential long-term starters to build around going forward, Jalen Duren brings just that, with upside as a star two-way talent.

He is a legitimate plus defender coming off an All-Star season, thriving as a play-finisher while developing his face-up game. Duren brings real two-way impact as a connective handoff playmaking hub, a finisher at the rim, a capable driver for his size and a versatile defender. Acquiring Duren at this stage for Milwaukee would likely be a low-risk, high-reward move for a proven All-Star-level talent.

Tre Allen

After watching Duren struggle in this year's playoffs, it was easy to forget how talented and productive he was for the Pistons. If Detroit is willing to move on from Duren, then I do think it would be worth the risk for Milwaukee to go after him given the right price.

Looking at where the Bucks stand, they don't have a lot of proven talent that they can build off of as they enter a rebuild. You have young pieces, but not an All-NBA caliber player like Duren who is only 22 years old.

Duren would be a massive upgrade over a player like Myles Turner at the center position despite not being able to stretch the floor, but was a top 10 player in both rebounds and field goal percentage.

If Milwaukee wanted to pursue him through a sign-and-trade then the biggest factors would be what assets are the Bucks willing to give up. Rookies like Nate Ament and Brayden Burries should not be involved in a potential trade neither should significant draft capital or a player like Ryan Rollins who had a career year last season.

Assuming that Milwaukee and Detroit could agree on a potential deal that doesn't force the Bucks to give up major assets, then I think it would best for them to go after Duren.

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