Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Lakers
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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers drives past Tari Eason of the Houston Rockets as teammate Deandre Ayton sets a screen.
The Los Angeles Lakers may have a rare opportunity this offseason to solve one of their most pressing roster needs — and potentially do it in a way that aligns perfectly with Luka Dončić.
Lakers Linked to Rising All-Star Center
Cap analyst Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron Substack identified Jalen Duren as a “fascinating” offseason target for the Lakers, noting that Los Angeles is one of the few teams positioned to seriously test the Detroit Pistons with a massive offer sheet.
Duren, a first-time All-Star this season, will enter restricted free agency after failing to reach a rookie-scale extension with Detroit last summer — a decision that has quickly come back to haunt the Pistons.
According to Gozlan, prying Duren away would require an aggressive near-max offer, potentially approaching his projected $44.6 million annual maximum salary.
Pistons’ Extension Gamble Backfires
Jalen Duren, Pistons
GettyJalen Duran is averaging a double-double this season to blossom into a first-time All-Star center.
At the time, Detroit believed it could wait.
That patience now looks costly.
NBA insider Jake Fischer previously reported that Duren’s camp was seeking around $30 million annually during extension talks — a figure that, in hindsight, would have been a bargain.
“Duren’s representation has sought well north of last fall’s benchmark of $30 million in annual average value,” Fischer reported in October, citing league sources who believed the young center would attract significant interest if he reached restricted free agency.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps echoed that sentiment, reporting in November that talks between Duren and Detroit were “pretty far apart” with little momentum heading into the rookie extension deadline.
Since then, Duren has exploded.
An All-Star at 22 — and Still Rising
Duren has blossomed into one of the league’s most productive young big men, averaging 17.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in just 27.7 minutes per game. At only 22 years old, he is years away from his physical prime, combining elite rim finishing, offensive rebounding and defensive versatility.
That growth has vaulted him into the conversation as one of the most coveted centers in the NBA, particularly for teams looking to build around a superstar playmaker.
Which brings the discussion squarely back to Los Angeles.
Dončić’s Preferred Center List Included Duren
In January, Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha revealed that Duren was already on Dončić’s short list of preferred centers he wanted to play with.
“They had the meeting in Rob’s office asking, ‘Which centers do you want to play with?’” Buha said. “Several of the centers on that list were Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren and Nic Claxton. They tried to get all three with the Dalton Knecht package. They did not get any of them.”
The Lakers failed to land a long-term center at the trade deadline. Free agency may be their cleanest second chance.
Lakers’ Cap Space Opens the Door
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Lakers could enter the offseason with as much as $89 million in theoretical cap space, though a more conservative projection lands closer to $54 million.
Gozlan added that even if Austin Reaves declines his player option — triggering a $20.9 million cap hold — Los Angeles would still project to have around $47 million in cap room, plus access to a $9.4 million midlevel exception.
That number could rise further if Deandre Ayton ($8.1 million player option) and Marcus Smart ($5.4 million player option) opt out.
In short: the Lakers will have flexibility — and leverage.
Why Duren Makes Sense in Los Angeles
For the Lakers, Duren checks nearly every box.
He’s young enough to grow alongside Dončić, physical enough to anchor the paint, and athletic enough to thrive as a rim-running lob threat in a Dončić-led offense. Unlike stopgap veteran options, Duren would represent a long-term solution at center — something the franchise has lacked.
If the Lakers are willing to push their chips in, they may have a rare chance to pair Dončić with one of the league’s brightest young big men — and reshape their championship window in the process.