The Los Angeles Lakers know what it is like to be top-heavy. It has not gone their way in recent years. Trying to pry Jalen Duren away from the Detroit Pistons would only lead the Lakers back to that same kind of team-building approach, inviting disaster all over again.
The latter years of the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era in Los Angeles had glaring depth issues plaguing the roster. Vital supporting pieces were missing and the two superstars were incapable of masking those problems enough to truly give the Lakers a fighting chance of contending.
Transitioning from that to Luka Doncic at the helm has required the same type of approach at the top. The Lakers have their stars, but they have been incapable of keeping up with the truly elite teams due to the lack of depth. Those issues revealed themselves in the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They were back in 2026 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Yes, the Lakers do need a new starting center, and it is true that Duren would be well-suited for playing alongside Luka Doncic. However, stealing him from the Detroit Pistons requires outspending them. That would significantly limit what the Lakers can do to fill out the roster from there.
A hefty price tag for Jalen Duren does the Lakers no favors in adding real depth
Michael Shearer of Hoops Habit went as far as calling the Lakers a dream landing spot for Duren in the summer. The reasoning was sound, too.
"A springy finisher like Duren is tailor-made to thrive next to Luka Doncic, and optimists could be higher on Duren’s defense than I am," Shearer wrote. "Doncic lobs have fed families, and Duren’s could well be the next beneficiary."
In terms of the on-court, it is difficult to dispute that Doncic and Duren work well together on paper. Reports have suggested that finances should be a notable hold-up with the Pistons, allowing any team bold enough to outprice Detroit.
Assuming the Lakers were capable of dropping a price tag that pushes the Pistons away, where would that leave Los Angeles after the fact?
Considering the Lakers will also be paying up for Austin Reaves, the answer to that is simple. They would have three highly-priced stars and a handful of rotation spots around them begging to be filled. It would not take long before Rob Pelinka is forced to scrape the bargain bin of free agency for veteran minimum deals to fill out the roster.
This all comes without discussing the playoff nightmare that fans just watched with Duren too. It is tough to believe the Lakers could truly create a better situation for his success without having the financial flexibility to find a handful of role players who would make everyone's lives easier.
Money matters, and for the Lakers, calculated spending is key. Having a deep roster in Los Angeles would be the real offseason dream for the franchise.
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