Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren were two of the most connected centers to the Los Angeles Lakers entering the offseason, but because both were restricted free agents, that complicated things. Still, LA made it happen by paying up for Kessler a couple of weeks ago, a move that didn't work in Duren's favor.
The 22-year-old and the Pistons are in a stalemate, with the center believing he's worth more money than the team has offered. As questions about Duren's future continue to swirl, The Athletic polled 13 front-office members about what they believe is a reasonable contract for the center (subscription required). Several referred to what Kessler got from the Lakers ($129.4 million over four years).
One member said a four-year, $130 million deal, and this was their reason why:
“I can’t see him signing for less than Walker, yet I don’t see why Detroit needs to move beyond that either,” he said.
Because Duren made an All-NBA team this past season, he's eligible to sign a five-year deal worth up to $287 million. He's not getting that. If what several front office members around the league believe is true, his next contract (if he doesn't sign his $9.6 million qualifying offer) will look more like Kessler's.
Jalen Duren won't get the kind of contract he wants from Pistons
As Fred Katz of The Athletic noted, Kessler is two years older than Duren, and he hasn't contributed to winning basketball. That's not the Lakers' new center's fault, as he was with the Jazz. It's just the fact of the matter. Duren, meanwhile, helped Detroit finish as the No. 1 seed in the East during the regular season, but he fell flat in the playoffs.
Considering Kessler was a restricted free agent who plays the same position as Duren, it still makes sense to use his deal as a reference point, although their backgrounds aren't the same.
None of this is to say that Duren will sign a deal that is around what Kessler got, but most of the responses were in that range. The highest was $157.1 million over four years, and the member arrived at that number because it's in the middle of Kessler's deal and the 25 percent max. See, it keeps coming back to the Lakers center.
At this point in the offseason, over three weeks into the official start of free agency, Duren already knows he's not going to get the kind of contract he wanted from Detroit. No other team will give it to him, either, at least not this summer. It's just the reality of the situation.
Unfortunately for the Pistons, it could be what unravels their relationship with Duren. He might be wishing right about now that he was LA's new starting center if a fresh start elsewhere is something that's on his mind.
The Lakers got their top option in Kessler, though, a move that seems to be already haunting Duren.
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