Rob Pelinka has a long and painful history of devaluing the NBA Draft. Pelinka's Los Angeles Lakers have already traded all of their second-round draft picks through 2031, will be without first-round selections in 2027 and 2029, and previously traded its picks in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025.
After watching projected free agency target Jalen Duren struggle throughout the 2026 NBA Playoffs, however, the Lakers have finally run out of excuses to dispute the value of the Draft.
Entering the playoffs, Duren was widely regarded as the top center among the class of pending free agents. He's a 22-year-old powerhouse who helped the Detroit Pistons secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Unfortunately, Duren averaged just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the playoffs—a fact that may not necessarily prevent him from signing a massive new contract.
With Duren's big pay day in mind, the Lakers must pivot to finding an affordable long-term option at the center position. They must still find an ideal free agent to occupy the starting role, but it's of equal importance to finally find a talent they can develop instead of constantly turning to free agency and the buyout market for short-term answers.
With the Lakers thus at the mercy of a questionable market of centers in regard to starting-caliber salaries, the NBA Draft should be their primary focus for resolving the issue at the position.
Uncertainty surrounding top free agent proof Lakers must draft a center
The Lakers will have options on draft night, but finding a center whom they can develop on a rookie-scale contract should be the top priority. In 2025, the No. 25 overall selection, Jase Richardson, signed a four-year deal worth just $15,308,562, with a first-year salary of $2,983,320.
If the Lakers can find the ideal center prospect at No. 25 in 2026, they'll have a chance to develop said player at a similarly low rate that can justify the potential risks they may take in free agency.
Los Angeles is also benefiting from how promising the group of big men are in the 2026 NBA Draft class. Caleb Wilson and Hannes Steinbach are projected lottery picks, the Michigan trio of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara all have Round 1 grades, and there are steady risers near the end of the first round.
That includes traditional big Tarris Reed Jr., athletic shot-blocker Zuby Ejiofor, and upside picks Chris Cenac Jr. and Koa Peat.
Clearly, the Lakers shouldn't reach for a player they don't actually believe in. With a long list of names to evaluate and the annual trend of talented players sliding further than anticipated, however, they shouldn't be afraid to take a chance on a prospect they've scouted and feel can be an ideal fit.
With significant financial investments just over the horizon and the No. 1 center in free agency proving to be a risky bet to sign, the Lakers must embrace the NBA Draft to avoid disaster.
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