Los Angeles Lakers fans seem fairly split on whether the team should give Austin Reaves a new contract this summer and pay him the amount of money he demands or trade him to another team. Reaves has emerged as an All-Star caliber player over the last couple of years, but he is relatively slow and unathletic, and it is well-known that he is lacking on the defensive end.
One position the Lakers need to upgrade in order to become championship contenders is the center spot. Jalen Duren, a 22-year-old center, is a rising young star in his own right for the Detroit Pistons, and he’s about to become a free agent this summer. During a recent episode of the “Ticket & The Truth” podcast, former NBA standout Paul Pierce said was asked about a hypothetical swap of Reaves and Duren, and he said he likes the idea (h/t Lakers Daily).
“I like that,” Pierce said. “I love that for both teams. You get a young big you could put with Luka Doncic in Duren, then you (the Pistons) get the scoring punch that you need on the perimeter.”
Duren averaged 19.5 points on 65% shooting and 10.5 rebounds a game during the regular season after putting up 11.8 points a game last season. However, it should be noted that he only mustered 10.2 points per game in this year’s playoffs as Detroit lost in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games despite claiming the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Some feel that for the Lakers to get out of the Western Conference moving forward, they need a legitimate scoring threat at the 5 to counter men such as Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun. If Duren’s struggles in this year’s postseason weren’t a sign of things to come, he could fit the bill, although Los Angeles would then have to replace the ball-handling, facilitating and scoring that Reaves provides it with.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Paul Pierce supports Lakers swapping Austin Reaves for Jalen Duren
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
