There's an unnamed franchise "known to have serious interest" in Detroit Pistons' restricted free agent Jalen Duren, according to Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (subscription required). It's not hard to follow the trail of breadcrumbs and imagine that mystery team to be the Chicago Bulls.
The 22-year-old center has those SLAP traits that Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham covets in a player. He certainly has the Size (6-foot-10, 250 pounds), Length (7'5" wingspan), Athleticism (42-inch vertical) and Physicality.
But the Pistons are inching closer to reaching a long-term contract extension with Duren worth $200 million. That's a hefty price to pay for a center who struggled when the bright lights of the postseason hit last year.
The Bulls landed Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets this past summer, but he's probably not Chicago's long-term answer in the frontcourt. If Graham shelled out for Duren, the hope would be that he is that solution.
But could the Bulls really be the unnamed mystery team? And would it make sense for them to take the risk?
It's easy to see why the Bulls would be interested in Jalen Duren
There's been a massive void in the middle in the Windy City since ... Joakim Noah? Nikola Vucevic wasn't the answer. Zach Collins is a career backup. Claxton is still relatively young (26) and a solid starting five, but isn't good enough to build around once Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis really get rolling.
Amick and Patterson write, in part, "there are at least two other teams — including the Milwaukee Bucks — that are known to have serious interest in Duren (both now and, potentially, next summer)."
The Sacramento Kings are mentioned as a team willing to give Duren a max contract next summer, should he sign his qualifying offer with the Pistons and choose to re-enter the market. The rebuilding Bucks are apparently interested and, of course, Detroit could reach an agreement with its All-Star big man.
That leaves the other of those "two other teams" — and the Bulls fit the bill.
Duren undoubtedly checks those SLAP boxes; he would give head coach Tiago Splitter an absolutely physically terrifying trio alongside Wilson and Buzelis.
The former Memphis Tigers star averaged 10.5 rebounds to go with his 19.5 points last season when he was named Third Team All-NBA. He would give the Bulls a presence on the boards that they don't have and could certainly use, with Wilson and Buzelis best suited to play as big wings.
Josh Giddey would feast going around Duren's concrete-wall screens. Norman Powell (or whoever ends up filling the two-guard role long-term) could fly around pin-downs. He presents a massive target on the block. He would vacuum up missed shots and give the Bulls extra possessions.
And despite already making an All-Star team and an All-NBA squad, he's only 22 with plenty of room to grow.
It's easy to see the allure he would hold for Graham and why Chicago could indeed be the unnamed team interested in acquiring him, either this year or next.
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