There has been a renaissance at the center position across the NBA in recent years, and with just about all of the best teams in the league possessing a good or great big man, the Los Angeles Lakers will need some sort of upgrade in the middle.
They got by with Deandre Ayton starting at the 5 this season, but he is viewed by many as inconsistent and an overall disappointment. Luka Doncic reportedly wants the Lakers to acquire an “A-list center’ this summer, and Dave McMenamin of ESPN made a curious comment during a recent episode of “NBA Today.”
McMenamin made it sound as if Doncic is trying to recruit Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons, who is about to become a free agent (h/t Fadeaway World).
“I already heard from someone in the Detroit organization today that said, ‘Hey, tell Luka to leave JD alone,’” McMenamin said. “But I reported Luka, even though he’s overseas in Slovenia right now, he has been in constant communication with Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick… The initial kind of message that Luka gave to the Lakers is get me an A-list center. And we’ll see who fits that bill.
“Like those are the two top restricted free agents we’re talking about,” McMenamin continued. “Walker Kessler and certainly Jalen Duren, an All-Star who had the best year of his career.”
Duren isn’t a shot-blocking threat, but he elevated his offense greatly this season. He averaged 19.5 points on 65% field-goal shooting and 10.5 rebounds a game, and he converted 189 dunks, which is indicative of his ability to finish strong at the hoop. In doing so, he helped the Pistons finish with a 60-22 record, which got them the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
However, Duren only averaged 10.2 points a game and converted 51.4% of his shot attempts during this year’s playoffs. At age 22, he’s likely still a work in progress.
He will be a restricted free agent, which means Detroit has the right to match any offer he is given by any other team.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: ESPN reporter suggests Luka Doncic is trying to recruit Jalen Duren
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
