The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to add a quality center this offseason and arguably the best one who could be available is Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons.
Duren is coming off a career year in which he was named Third Team All-NBA, although the Pistons seem hesitant to give him a maximum contract in restricted free agency after he struggled greatly in the postseason. Because of that, Duren appears to be exploring sign-and-trade possibilities that will land him elsewhere, per Sam Amick of The Athletic:
All-NBA forward Jalen Duren was underwhelmed by the Detroit Pistons’ initial offer in restricted free agency and is planning to explore sign-and-trade scenarios when they are permitted on Tuesday, league sources told The Athletic.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiation is ongoing, the gap between the sides is large enough that Duren is considering ways to land elsewhere, with the sign-and-trade route deemed preferable to signing an offer sheet with another team that the Pistons could, and likely would, match. And with some of the game’s best players potentially available this summer, including the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown and the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, the question now becomes whether the Pistons might be willing to engage in those sorts of scenarios when that time comes.
Despite the poor playoff run, there’s no doubt that Duren would fill a lot of the Lakers’ needs as he is coming off an All-Star season in which he averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 65% from the field.
Duren is still just 22 years of age, making him the ideal type of center to pair with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves long term.
It remains to be seen if Duren truly is available though as while the Lakers have the cap space to give him close to a max offer, he is a restricted free agent so Detroit ultimately could just match the offersheet, which they are saying they will do according to NBA insider Chris Haynes:
Detroit Pistons are conveying that Jalen Duren will not be moved and are solely focused on coming to terms on an agreement to keep their All-Star center, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/OyLeQ9sPZZ
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 26, 2026
It seems that the Pistons are trying to dissuade teams from signing Duren to an offersheet by saying they will match.
If he is truly interested in a sign-and-trade though, then perhaps the Lakers can dangle their 2031 and 2033 first-round picks to get the Pistons to play ball. If that is possible then L.A. would likely pursue it as Doncic has made it clear that he wants to play with an “A-list” center and Duren may be the only option who fits that billing.
Jalen Duren may not be only obtainable starting center for Lakers
Duren isn’t the only option for the Lakers on the free agent market as it was recently reported that another potential target of theirs, Mitchell Robinson, is unlikely to return to the New York Knicks.
Robinson is an unrestricted free agent, so unlike Duren, the Lakers can just sign him outright with their cap space or mid-level exception if they want.
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