The Los Angeles Lakers should have a pathway to upgrading their roster this summer through free agency. They will have up to approximately $50 million in salary cap space, which should present them with a real opportunity to shape a championship-caliber cast around Luka Doncic, or at least start to do so.
Unfortunately, most of the most attractive free agents this summer are restricted free agents, which means their current teams have the right to match any offers they receive. In particular, Los Angeles has been linked to centers Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren and forwards Peyton Watson and Tari Eason, all of whom will be restricted free agents.
Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers have “done their due diligence” on all four of those players.
“There are several restricted free agents the Lakers have already done their due diligence on, sources familiar with the team’s thinking told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote.
“Two of them, Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons and Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, would satisfy Doncic’s directive to secure an A-list center.
“Two others, Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets and Tari Eason of the Rockets, are the type of 3-and-D archetypes who any team needs in order to succeed in the modern NBA.”
Kessler has been linked to the Lakers for some time, and he has been a dream target for their fans. He’s an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker, and he’s just 24 years of age. However, the Utah Jazz have the No. 2 pick in next week’s NBA draft, and with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen alongside Kessler on their frontline, they may be able to be competitive as soon as next season.
Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game for the Detroit Pistons during the regular season, although his scoring output fell to 10.2 points a game in the playoffs. Detroit finished with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and one has to think that the team will do whatever it takes to retain Duren.
Watson is a 6-foot-8 wing who made strides this season and averaged 14.6 points a game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.1% from 3-point range. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and played collegiately at the University of California, Los Angeles. Eason is also 6-foot-8 and a little more suited to playing power forward than Watson. He put up 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during the regular season, although he shot just 41.6% from the field.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Report: Lakers have done ‘due diligence’ on big free agent targets
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
