Detroit has two prominent athletes locked in uncomfortable standoffs with their respective franchises.
Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings after enduring another season outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jalen Duren reportedly rejected a fully guaranteed five-year, $200 million offer from the Detroit Pistons.
Now comes the painful hypothetical: Detroit sports fans can keep only one.
Larkin is older, carries an expensive long-term contract and has already asked to leave. Duren is 22, coming off an All-NBA season and could become one of the league’s best centers.
On the surface, this should be an easy decision. Keep the younger player and trade the veteran who wants out.
Look closer, though, and the answer changes.
Keep Dylan Larkin. Trade Jalen Duren.
Dylan Larkin Has Earned More Patience
Larkin’s trade request did not materialize because he suddenly stopped caring about the Red Wings.
He spent the first 11 seasons of his NHL career in Detroit, including nine consecutive years without a playoff appearance. He remained productive through countless rebuilds, coaching changes and roster overhauls. Larkin then scored a career-high 34 goals last season before reportedly submitting his request.
He will report to training camp, but he will not return as captain. Larkin is under contract through the 2030-31 season at an $8.7 million annual cap hit, and his no-trade protection limits Detroit’s options. Reuters reported that the Red Wings had not made a decision regarding his request.
When Larkin addressed the situation publicly, he told teammates that his decision was not about them. He also declined to say whether the request remained active.
Larkin could have handled parts of the situation differently. Detroit also cannot ignore its role in pushing its best forward toward the exit.
Jalen Duren’s Standoff Creates a Different Problem
Duren’s position is not built on a decade of organizational failure.
The Pistons have finally become a contender. Cade Cunningham has developed into a franchise player, Ausar Thompson is emerging as a two-way force and Detroit is attempting to preserve a young core capable of making deeper postseason runs.
Duren is an important part of that core. He averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds last season while earning All-NBA honors. His strength, rebounding and interior scoring give Detroit a physical presence few teams can match.
The Pistons have also placed an enormous commitment on the table. Detroit reportedly increased its offer to five years and $200 million, fully guaranteed and without options or incentives.
Duren still has not agreed.
That does not make him selfish or disloyal. Players have every right to maximize their earnings. Yet rejecting that reported $200 million proposal forces Detroit to consider whether the relationship can be repaired without surrendering control of the roster.
Replaceability Breaks the Tie
This decision comes down to which player Detroit can replace more easily.
True top-line centers are among the NHL’s most difficult assets to acquire. The Red Wings do not have an obvious internal replacement for Larkin. Trading him would create another major hole for a franchise already trying to end a historic playoff drought.
The Pistons have more flexibility.
Duren is younger and may possess greater trade value. Detroit could turn that value into a center with a different offensive profile, a shooting wing or multiple assets that complement Cunningham. Sacramento reportedly discussed Domantas Sabonis in an earlier Duren sign-and-trade scenario, though that does not establish that current negotiations are taking place.
There is also a roster-construction question. Committing $200 million to a center who does not stretch the floor is a much different proposition than paying a proven first-line NHL center $8.7 million per season.
Duren could become a perennial All-Star. Trading him would carry substantial risk. Keeping him without a long-term agreement carries risk, too.
Larkin has already given Detroit more than a decade. His frustration is understandable, his contract is manageable and the Red Wings cannot replace his role without taking a significant step backward.
If Detroit sports fans must choose the lesser of two evils, the call is clear.
Keep Dylan Larkin. Trade Jalen Duren.
