Since winning a ring in 2020, there has been a noticeable hole at the big man position for the Los Angeles Lakers, further highlighted by the departure of Anthony Davis. This has really diminished the franchise’s title chances during LeBron James‘ tenure.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons have an emerging problem of their own. They don’t have a reliable scoring option beyond Cade Cunningham, which led to their recent disappointing playoff run despite finishing first in the East in the regular season.
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These two emerging problems are why NBA legend Paul Pierce floated a trade idea that would send the Pistons’ tough big man Jalen Duren to the Lakers in exchange for longtime scorer Austin Reaves.
At first glance, it sounds like a risky deal. But Pierce sees logic on both sides, arguing that the trade could address both rosters’ clear weaknesses and help them maximize their championship windows.
“I love that for both teams. You get a young big you could put with Luka Doncic in Duren. Then (the Lakers) get the scoring punch you need on the perimeter,” Pierce stated.
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A perfect trade on paper
The Lakers’ need for a center has been obvious for years. Since winning a ring in the Bubble, Los Angeles has cycled through multiple options without really finding a true long-term answer. It seemed like DeAndre Ayton was the answer at the start of the season, but he has been inconsistent and looked out of place under head coach JJ Redick‘s defensive philosophies in both the regular season and the postseason.
Getting Duren means getting one of the best defensive big men in the league and the anchor the franchise has been looking for for years. But at the same time, the Lakers would have to part with a fan-favorite who has undeniably been ingrained in the team’s culture for years now.
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Reaves has developed into one of the Lakers’ most reliable scorers, capable of shouldering the offensive load alongside LeBron and Luka Doncic, as evidenced early in the season when he put up All-Star numbers while his co-stars were sidelined.
For Detroit, that scoring consistency and reliability were badly needed during their postseason run. Not to mention that it gives Cunningham space to operate and a secondary shot-creator. Pierce also believes that the Pistons’ reliance on defensive players hampers their chances of contending.
“I don’t think you can play Duran and Ausar. I don’t think you can play them together, I think, if neither one of them can shoot,” Pierce explained. “You got a penetrating guard like Cade Cunningham, you have to give him spacing. It is what it is.”
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“When you look at Brunson, he got spacing out there because of the shooters. When you look at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he got spacing out there. Cade can do all those things them scoring guards can do, he just don’t have the spacing. So they have to find some players that can give them space,” he added.
The reality
As good as the trade sounds on paper, there are still some questions that both teams need to address. For the Lakers, the future of LeBron remains a huge mystery heading into the offseason and dealing away their proven scorer could put them in a position the Pistons are in right now: lacking a true other scoring option.
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Moving away from Duren, meanwhile, is a big risk for Detroit, which has done a great job of building a cohesive team during its rebuild. They had a disappointing playoff exit, but the regular season showed that a real culture is building in Motor City, and suddenly taking away a big piece of that could ruin everything.
Not to mention, they would also have to replace the defensive production, though Pierce suggested the Pistons need to take a shot at Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo.
The trade fills the gaps both teams currently have. The Lakers can finally have the center they’ve been looking for years, while Detroit gets a scorer who can potentially give them the scoring depth they most desperately need. It’s still a bold gamble, but after both their early playoff exits, hard decisions like what the trade requires might just be needed.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.