The Los Angeles Lakers' odds of stealing Jalen Duren away from the Detroit Pistons in restricted free agency this summer went up after his playoff struggles. The top-seeded Pistons were eliminated in the second round by the Cavaliers. Duren struggled throughout the playoffs, and Detroit no-showed in a Game 7 blowout loss. It has to have the Pistons questioning how to build around Cade Cunningham and hesitant to pay Duren a massive contract.
Lakers fans may be worried about Duren, but this is a 22-year-old All-Star big man. Detroit also stopped giving him easy looks around the rim. He had 2.5 possessions per game as a roll man in the regular season, but it dipped to 1.6 in the playoffs. Lakers fans know Luka will keep feeding the big man the ball.
Duren’s playoff struggles created the ideal opportunity for the Lakers. Detroit was going to match virtually any offer after the regular season, but his scoring and impact plummeted in the postseason. Duren has to have the Pistons second-guessing. If the Lakers swoop in, Duren could be in LA next season.
Jalen Duren’s playoff struggles increased Lakers' chances of stealing All-Star big man
Luka wants a lob threat center to be his pick-and-roll partner. Duren scored 1.45 points per possession in those situations during the regular season, which is better than 91.8 percent of NBA players. Now imagine what he could do playing with the best pick-and-roll creator in the world?
Duren struggled in the playoffs. He barely scored over ten points per game. It was a massive drop from his 19.5 a night during the regular season. The All-Star struggled with fouls, and his defense was a problem in the playoffs. Should we trust the 14-game sample or the 70 regular-season games? Duren let the snowball roll downhill, but he is better than what he showed in the postseason.
The 22-year-old big man must be put in positions to succeed. He shouldn’t be creating off the dribble or having to do too much. The Lakers are the perfect spot. Luka will feed him lobs and easy buckets at the rim. Duren can focus on protecting the rim and anchoring the defense. LA wants to re-sign Austin Reaves and LeBron James. They could quickly become one of the most talented teams in the NBA.
The Lakers need more talent around Luka. This is the chance to add a young All-Star to help build a long-term title contender around number 77.
The Pistons didn’t want to pay Duren when he was rookie extension eligible. That is why he is headed to restricted free agency this summer. The door is open, and the gap got wider with his playoff struggles.
He had two 15-point games and three playoff double-doubles. There were positive moments to go with the struggles. It was a disappointing end to an incredible regular season for the player and the team. The Pistons may change things up, and the Lakers would love to steal Duren to pair with Luka.
The Los Angeles Lakers have cap space this summer. They could make a strong offer to Jalen Duren and force the Pistons into a difficult decision. Detroit can match any offer, but may be hesitant to pay the big man like a star after his playoff struggles. The Lakers would love to take advantage. The door is open, and fans should stay tuned to see if LA can kick it down this summer.
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