Why Washington Wizards Trade for Jalen Duren Makes Little Sense

The Washington Wizards ended any and all roster speculation an after announcing Anthony Gill as the 15th and final addition to the roster. Yet one day after releasing its 21-man roster ahead of the official start of training camp and media day, the Wizards found themselves strangely tied to the NBA's most discussed big man ahead of opening night.

In the midst of NBA media day, senior NBA writer Marc Spears announced that Washington could be a potential landing spot for free agent big man Jalen Duren, who recently declined a five-year, $200 million dollar contract extension with the Detroit Pistons. 

While it's fun to see Washington's name in headlines to land All-NBA caliber players, a move for Duren would make little to no sense, especially since it would likely require Washington to trade away players and assets of their own, like a sign and trade.

At only 22 years old, Duren is coming off of an impressive season where he made the All NBA 3rd Team and helped lead Detroit to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 65% shooting from the field across 70 games played last season. 

Many believe Washington's 15-man roster was finalized once they signed Anthony Gill, and while I still believe that, it is unusual that they remain in rumors for an expensive player at a position with added depth.

If Washington we're to make a move for Duren, it would give Trae Young one of if not the best lob threat in the league, but would require trading away valuable pieces in Washington's young core. 

Hypothetically, if Washington were to do a sign and trade with Detroit for Duren, they would have to trade one of Anthony Davis or Alex Sarr, which may add more questions than answers for the organization. Trading Sarr shouldn't even be on the table, and swapping Davis with Duren seems like a poor fit for Washington.

Not to mention the fact that Washington would then have to invest over $200 million dollars into Duren's new contract, immediately after paying Trae Young $212.8 million dollars over four years. 

Washington not only has one of the most exciting young cores in the NBA, but possesses impressive salary cap flexibility, potentially allowing them to make another splash move in the near future. However, trading for Duren eliminates that possibility. 

It's viewed to be unlikely that the Wizards actually materialize into a realistic landing spot, instead of Duran ultimately finding middle ground with the Pistons ahead of the start of the 2026-27 regular season.