The Detroit Pistons are entering the offseason after a surprising turnaround last season, climbing from the worst NBA records in previous years to securing the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and making the playoffs. Now, the Pistons aim to strengthen their roster around their young core, led by Cade Cunningham, in hopes of contending for a championship next season.
Potential Trade Proposal Involving Jalen Duren and Austin Reaves
Amidst ongoing trade rumors linking Detroit to players such as Naz Reid and Myles Turner, attention has turned to an unexpected possibility involving the Los Angeles Lakers. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently proposed a mock trade sending Jalen Duren, Simone Fontecchio, and a 2025 second-round pick to the Lakers in exchange for guard Austin Reaves.
This trade would provide the Lakers with a promising young center in Duren while giving the Pistons a valuable shooter in Reaves to complement their backcourt.
“Reaves is a good enough shooter to share the floor with Cunningham and a clever enough creator to keep the offense moving without him,”
Buckley said.
“The fact Reaves is a plus-shooter from distance should look especially appealing to Detroit, since there are non-shooters in its young core (Ausar Thompson, Ronald Holland II) and net-shredders among its free agents (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr.).”
—Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report
Trade Impact and Future Outlook for Both Teams
If executed, this trade would mark a significant shift for both franchises. The Lakers would bolster their frontcourt with Duren as a key piece to eventually replace Anthony Davis, while the Pistons would improve their perimeter shooting with Reaves alongside Cunningham. Despite the Lakers currently showing no willingness to trade Reaves, recent reports from The Athletic reveal that he declined a lucrative four-year, $90 million extension, potentially opening the door for negotiations.
Should the move happen, Detroit would gain a reliable scoring option in Reaves to enhance their offense but would also need to fill the void left by Duren’s departure in the center position. The proposed trade thus reflects each team’s efforts to address core weaknesses as they prepare for the upcoming season.