The Knicks are on the hunt for a backup center, with Isaiah Hartenstein counting his money in Oklahoma City, and while it is likely that they will simply re-sign big man Precious Achiuwa, who was acquired in the trade for OG Anunoby but is now a free agent, they will continue to investigate the NBA’s trade market.
On the whole, the market has been slow but is expected to pick up in the coming weeks. One name that has been connected to the Knicks is a player they actually once shipped out on draft night in 2022—20-year-old Pistons center Jalen Duren.
That came from veteran NBA reporter Marc Berman, who covered the Knicks for decades. Earlier this month, Berman wrote on Twitter/X, “Leon Rose was in 1st row of presser yesterday with Mikal’s mother. Didn’t talk, but he’s still cooking, wants to make big center move after Philly’s 2 additions. Heard Houston’s Sengun has been on radar, even Detroit’s Jalen Duren. And that was before Pistons signed Paul Reed.”
Jalen Duren Asking Price Would Be High
But there has not been much movement on the Duren front—or Sengun for that matter—when it comes to making a deal for a big man. The Pistons would be open to moving Duren, as the organization tries to figure out a coherent direction, but whether the Knicks have enough to pry him out of Detroit is a significant question.
The deal the Knicks could offer would come down to point guard Miles McBride and two first-round picks—one of which is a protected pick that is coming in from Detroit. The Knicks could give that back to the Pistons and give up the pick they’re slated to get from Washington in a Duren deal.
That might not be enough, though, to get the Pistons to budge. Duren is the ideal backup big man for the Knicks, capable of starting when Mitchell Robinson can’t go and with the potential to develop into an eventual replacement for Robinson. Duren averaged 13.8 points and 11.6 rebounds last year, his second NBA season.
“Absolutely they should offer all they can for him, he is a perfect fit there, Tom (Thibodeau) would love him even though he’s young,” one NBA executive said. “But the problem is the draft capital. The Pistons would definitely want two picks for him and the thing with the picks that the Knicks have left is that you can’t really say that they’re going to be first-rounders. They are not as valuable as they might look at first.”
Knicks Draft Capital Mostly Gone
The Knicks, of course, sent out four of their own first-rounders—in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031—to obtain Mikal Bridges from the Nets. They also sent the Nets the Bucks’ 2025 pick. Those are all unprotected.
The two picks the Knicks still have are protected. They have Washington’s pick in 2025, but it is protected for picks 1-10 next year. The Wizards are almost certain to be among the 10 worst teams in the league. The Knicks would get Washington’s pick in 2026, but that is protected for the Top 8. Again, Washington is likely to be among the eight worst teams that year, too. After that, the pick converts to two second-round picks.
It’s a similar story with Detroit’s 2025 pick. The Knicks will only get it if the Pistons are not in the Top 13 of the draft in 2025, which is unlikely. It’s Top 11 in 2026, and Top 9 in 2027. There is a good chance that pick will convert in one of those years, but if not, it becomes a second-rounder.
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