The Detroit Pistons need more shooting and another dependable scorer next to Cade Cunningham. Trey Murphy III checks both boxes.

That does not automatically make Jalen Duren expendable.

A new PistonPowered commentary revisits Murphy as a potential Detroit target while Duren’s contract standoff continues. The concept is intriguing, particularly after the Pistons reportedly increased their offer to Duren to five years and $200 million without reaching an agreement.

This remains a hypothetical exercise. There is no current report that Detroit and New Orleans are negotiating a Duren-for-Murphy trade, nor is there evidence that the Pelicans have decided to move Murphy.

The question is whether such a deal would make Detroit better. The honest answer depends on what else the Pistons would have to surrender and how they would replace Duren at center.

Murphy Would Address Detroit’s Clearest Weakness

Murphy would immediately become one of Detroit’s best shooters and most dangerous off-ball scorers. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 66 games last season while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range, according to the Pelicans’ official statistics.

At 6-foot-8, Murphy can space the floor without forcing Detroit to sacrifice size. A Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Murphy perimeter trio would give the Pistons creation, elite defense and high-volume shooting. Murphy would also punish teams for loading multiple defenders toward Cunningham, something Detroit’s current collection of forwards cannot consistently do.

His contract adds to the appeal. Murphy is signed through the 2028-29 season on a four-year, $112 million extension. That $28 million average is considerably lower than the $40 million annual value in Detroit’s reported offer to Duren.

Murphy may be the cleaner offensive fit. Duren remains the more difficult physical presence to replace.

Trading Duren Would Create a Major Center Problem

Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while earning All-Star and third-team All-NBA honors last season. His playoff production dropped sharply, but Detroit would still be trading its starting center without an obvious successor on the roster.

Paul Reed is a useful rotation player. Asking him to anchor the position for a contender across an entire season would be a different assignment. Detroit already traded Isaiah Stewart, reducing the frontcourt depth that might have made a Duren deal easier to absorb.

That means a Murphy acquisition could solve one roster problem while creating another. The Pistons would gain shooting, secondary scoring and positional versatility, then need to find rebounding, rim protection and a dependable pick-and-roll partner for Cunningham.

Detroit has already examined other potential outcomes if Duren leaves, but none makes replacing an All-NBA center inexpensive or automatic.

New Orleans Would Probably Demand More Than Duren

The acquisition cost may end the discussion before roster fit does.

New Orleans has received significant interest in Murphy without actively shopping him. Earlier reporting indicated the Pelicans would require a substantial return, potentially involving multiple first-round picks, before seriously considering a trade. Murphy’s production, age and team-friendly contract give him considerable value.

Duren alone may not satisfy New Orleans, especially when the Pelicans would inherit the responsibility of giving him a contract approaching or exceeding $200 million. If Detroit also had to include Ron Holland, another young player or premium draft capital, the trade becomes far less attractive.

A recent hypothetical look at three possible Duren trade destinations raised Murphy as one possibility. The idea works best as a relatively clean exchange centered on the two players. It becomes dangerous if Detroit must empty a meaningful portion of its remaining asset base.

Murphy would improve the Pistons’ shooting and half-court offense. A reasonable Duren-based deal could produce a better-balanced roster, but only if Detroit has another starting-caliber center lined up.

Without that second move, the Pistons would not necessarily become better. They would simply exchange one major roster weakness for another.