Among the free agents still without a new deal, Jalen Duren stands out as the best name on the market — by a mile. Restricted free agency can often be unkind to the players involved and such has been the case for the Detroit Pistons center. The Los Angeles Lakers could have given the All-Star big man an out to his now stalling situation with Pistons, but they decided against it early on.
The Lakers came into the summer with a need to upgrade the starting five-man position. Luka Doncic was even asking for it, reportedly seeking an A-list center on the roster. Duren certainly fit that description after his 2025-26 campaign.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a career year last season. Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds en route to the first All-Star and All-NBA selections of his young career. Despite his ups and downs in the postseason, there was more than enough here to invite a team like the Lakers to flirt with the idea of adding him, and they did poke around.
Sam Amick reported that Los Angeles met with Duren, and the meeting was deemed productive. The Lakers were said to view the Pistons center as a 'maximum-salary level player' and there was some willingness to throw an offer sheet at him. Rob Pelinka and the front office chose to take the Walker Kessler route instead. Duren has been stuck in no man's land ever since.
Lakers choosing Walker Kessler over Jalen Duren left the latter stuck
Duren and Kessler were head and shoulders clear of the other center options in free agency. Everyone else who was available at the position this year came with much more notable concerns and drawbacks by comparison to those two.
Both of them were in the unenviable position of being restricted free agents, though. Any teams that wanted to come calling for their services would need to navigate the hurdle of dealing with the team that held their contract rights.
The Lakers ultimately decided it would be easier to figure out a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz. That may have always been the plan in Los Angeles.
Yes, the Lakers reportedly explored the idea of a Duren offer sheet. That could have just been a smokescreen to aid their Kessler push. Having the Pistons All-Star as a fallback option meant Utah could not fleece Los Angeles any worse than many already view they did.
Whether the Lakers' interest was real or just a calculated ploy, when they chose Kessler, they left Duren with few other real options that were not the Pistons for his payday. Now in September, Detroit and their restricted free agent are still in a staring contest.
Tim MacMahon reported: "According to league sources, the Pistons are offering a five-year deal that would pay Duren in the range of $35 million annually. Duren ... is requesting a deal with an average salary in excess of $40 million."
The Lakers got their guy at center. The player they passed over got stiffed in the process.
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