New Orleans Pelicans Urged To Pursue Trade for Intriguing Pistons' Center

The New Orleans Pelicans are being urged to pursue a trade for an intriguing Detroit Pistons' center.

Apr 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Looking ahead to the 2024-25 NBA season which is quickly approaching, the New Orleans Pelicans appear to have a team that should compete in the Western Conference.

Obviously, the biggest question currently surrounding the team has to do with the future of star forward Brandon Ingram. However, there is another question that needs to be answered.

Do the Pelicans have a good enough starting center? That is the one area on the roster that appears to be a glaring weakness. Could they consider making a move before the start of the season or at least before the trade deadline to acquire a center?

Bleacher Report has one idea in mind. They are urging New Orleans to look into pulling off a trade with the Detroit Pistons for an intriguing young center.

Of course, that center is Jalen Duren.

Here is the trade that Bleacher Report suggested between the two teams:

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Jalen Duren

Detroit Pistons Receive: Jordan Hawkins, 2026 First-Round Swap Rights (via Milwaukee), 2027 Second-Round Pick (via Chicago)

Duren would be a very intriguing addition for the Pelicans. He is just 20 years old and has already shown major potential. The main holdup to this being a possibility is the fact that the Pistons may not have any interest in trading him.

During the 2023-24 NBA season, Duren ended up playing in 61 games and starting in 60 of those appearances. He averaged 13.8 points per game to go along with 11.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.8 blocks. In addition to those numbers, he shot 61.9 percent from the floor and 79.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Those numbers are very impressive for a 20-year-old center.

While it's highly unlikely that Detroit would actually trade Duren, he would be a perfect addition for New Orleans. If they found a way to acquire him, the Pelicans would be in an even better position to compete.

All of that being said, the stage has been set for what could be a very big year for New Orleans. The team has the star power, the depth, and the pieces needed to make another move if they choose to do so. Everything is trending in the right direction.

Hopefully, the center position doesn't end up being a weakness. If it does, the Pelicans should look to aggressively make a move like this one.