Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is about to become a restricted free agent, and he has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers for weeks. He just completed a breakout season in which he averaged 19.5 points on 65% shooting and 10.5 rebounds a game, made the NBA All-Star Game and helped Detroit claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
It has been thought that Duren will be an unrealistic target for the Lakers. But he will still be reportedly meeting with them once free agency officially starts on Tuesday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. He will also meet with the Sacramento Kings.
“Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, one of the top restricted free agents on the market this summer, has a pair of meetings with outside teams scheduled for when free agency officially begins on Tuesday,” McMenamin wrote.
“One of the teams is the Los Angeles Lakers, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN. L.A.’s front office has been given feedback from franchise star Luka Doncic for his desire to pair with an ‘A-list center,’ a league source told ESPN, and Duren would certainly fit the bill.”
Duren would certainly be a terrific get for a Lakers team that wants to substantially upgrade at the center position. The 22-year-old saw his scoring drop dramatically in the playoffs as Detroit lost in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he’s the type of athletic, rim-running lob threat that Doncic and the Lakers want at the 5 spot.
He isn’t a big shot-blocking threat, but at 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, he’s a big body who has to be dealt with on the defensive end.
Los Angeles will have Deandre Ayton, its starting center this season, on its roster moving forward after he exercised the player option on his contract. During an appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today” a few days ago, McMenamin said that the Lakers will need to trade Ayton because of Doncic’s desire for a high-level center.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: ESPN: Jalen Duren to meet with Lakers in free agency
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
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By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
