Lakers Get Blunt Answer From Pistons Camp on Jalen Duren Pursuit

Luka Doncic has been pretty quiet about LeBron James and Austin Reaves this summer. But that does not mean he has stayed silent about what the Los Angeles Lakers roster actually needs.

While he works out overseas in Slovenia, Doncic has stayed locked in on one thing. He wants a true center next to him, and he has not been shy about saying so to the front office.

Doncic's message to Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick has been simple from the start. Get him an A-list big man, then figure out the fit later. Two restricted free agents fit that description right now, and Jalen Duren of the Pistons is at the top of that list.

Detroit apparently heard about it too, and did not love what it heard.

Pistons Send a Message of Their Own

Dave McMenamin shared the response on ESPN's NBA Today.

"I already heard from someone in the Detroit organization today that said, 'Hey, tell Luka to leave Jalen Duren alone,'" he said.

It is not hard to see why Detroit feels that way. Duren just turned in his best season yet, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 65 percent from the field. That kind of leap got him his first All-Star nod.

The catch for the Lakers is that Duren is a restricted free agent. They can sign him to an offer sheet, but Detroit holds the right to match it, no matter how big the number gets.

That is the same hurdle that comes with Walker Kessler in Utah, the other name McMenamin mentioned as fitting what Doncic wants. Both teams have every reason to keep their guy, and both have the cap room to do it.

For the Lakers, this is starting to feel familiar. They went after DeAndre Ayton last summer, hoping he would be that vertical threat next to Doncic, and it never quite clicked the way anyone hoped. If both Duren and Kessler slip away, Mitchell Robinson is probably the next name on the board, but he profiles more as a backup than a centerpiece.

Duren's playoff numbers dipped against Cleveland, dropping to 10.2 points a game, and that gives Detroit a little less urgency to overpay just to keep him away from suitors. Still, with Cade Cunningham locked in and a real shot at contending, the Pistons are not about to hand the Lakers a gift.

Doncic wanted his front office to swing big this summer. Detroit just made it clear that swing will not be an easy one, and the fallback options are thin.

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