When it was clear LeBron James was not heading back to Hollywood, the Los Angeles Lakers had an obvious priority sitting at the top of their to-do list to start free agency. They needed to get that A-list center for Luka Doncic. There were only two options who fit that description.
Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler were the men the Lakers had available to them in free agency who could fill the needed void at starting center. Rob Pelinka explored both options before deciding to work with the Utah Jazz on the sign-and-trade reported on July 1. Los Angeles made their call.
Watching just how much of a headache Duren has caused for the Detroit Pistons since then is all the reassurance needed for the Lakers to feel as though the right decision was made. At every step, the free-agent center has proven unwilling and difficult to work with for the Pistons.
Duren is the more proven player at this point of his career. On paper, the All-NBA Third Team and All-Star appearance tilt the scales in his favor in terms of being a known commodity. However, what is happening to the Pistons today could have awaited the Lakers in a not-so distant future whenever there was an impasse between the franchise and the former lottery pick.
Friction between Pistons and Jalen Duren has turned into a matter of ego
The latest out of Detroit via Shams Charania suggested the Pistons have upped their offer yet again. Previously, there was an apparent hold-up over $10 million as the franchise was offering $190 million, and Duren was seeking $200 million. The Pistons have given way and are offering the latter now.
This is no longer about the money. This is a personal decision.
On the Pistons' end of the equation, five years and $200 million is more than fair. They are still offering a hefty payment in good faith despite the brutal playoff struggles they saw out of their All-NBA center this year. Maybe the initial offer was lackluster, but negotiating is a part of the business.
Walker Kessler is quickly proving to be a more calculated bet for the Lakers
The Lakers emptied out a ton of their assets to add Kessler. It is fair to estimate they would have needed to do something similar, if not more, for the Pistons to consider moving Duren. Detroit has been far more insistent on keeping their young center and have constantly communicated as much.
Where would that have left the Lakers had they chosen to push for Duren instead?
Either they would have been forced to give an offer sheet that far exceeded what they paid Kessler, or they would have potentially forked over more assets in a sign-and-trade for a player who would not have been a slam dunk to succeed in Los Angeles. The Duren gamble would have been rough.
That is not to say Kessler is a surefire bet by comparison. However, there is a lot to love about the better defensive fit and how the new Lakers big meshes with Luka Doncic on offense. That, again, comes before considering the price of making a deal and the ego concerns.
Duren fell off on offense during the playoffs. His defense was far worse in the postseason, too. The Pistons were more than fair to take a cautious approach in paying him, and restricted free agency tends to favor the team in most cases.
Despite all that, Duren is the one who is drawing out the saga far beyond how long it needs to be. Maybe he really does not like the city of Detroit. Whatever the case is, the Lakers are better off for having wrapped up Kessler in a quick and calculated manner at the start of free agency before continuing their business elsewhere.
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