An area of concern for the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the latter stages of the regular season is the center position. L.A. scavenged for a big ahead of the February trade deadline, one name apparently being Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren.
However, general manager Rob Pelinka wound up pulling the trigger on a trade for Charlotte Hornets’ big man Mark Williams. But, Williams failed his physical and it left the Lakers without much center depth as the deadline passed.
Duren is another young center the Lakers inquired about before the deadline and perhaps talks could be revisited over the summer, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
“The [Pistons did not want to give him up], and the Lakers inquired about it. However, you never know if things change in the summer.”
The 21-year-old is a physical player standing at 6’10”, 250 pounds and someone who does not need plays called for him. With Luka Doncic in town, he loves his lob threats like a Daniel Gafford or Derek Lively II, making Duren a nice fit.
Currently, the former Memphis Tiger is averaging 11.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 69.7% from the field. He would be a great pick-and-roll partner for both Doncic and LeBron James and a young player the Lakers can build with into the future.
After this year, Duren will be extension eligible on an expiring $9 million contract and L.A. could easily trade for his deal as they will have several expiring contracts themselves. However, with the Pistons playing their best basketball in several years, there is no indication that they want to trade their starting center as they look to start competing.
Mark Williams’ agent says Lakers should not have rescinded trade
A lot was made about the rescinded trade between the Lakers and Hornets involving Mark Williams. The former Duke Blue Devil is set for an extension this summer, so this deal falling apart does not bode well for Williams getting a payday he is looking for.
Rescinded trades do not happen often, so the 23-year-old’s physical must have shown serious issues. So much so that L.A. decided to simply ride it out with Jaxson Hayes as their starter until the offseason.
The next step for Williams and his inner circle is damage control to secure his next contract, so his agent spoke out to say that the trade should have been called off despite what the Lakers decided to do.
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