It is shaping up to be a busy offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, with free agency and trade speculation already beginning to intensify.
While the futures of several players on expiring contracts, including LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, remain uncertain, the Lakers are also expected to explore opportunities to inject fresh talent into the roster.
Lakers reporter Jovan Buha recently suggested that Los Angeles should prioritize adding new talent at two key positions: center and wing.
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Starting center Deandre Ayton holds an $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season and could choose to decline it in search of a larger contract on the open market.
Meanwhile, Jaxson Hayes is set to enter unrestricted free agency, although ESPN’s Dave McMenamin previously reported that the Lakers have interest in bringing him back.
With significant salary cap flexibility projected this offseason, there has been growing speculation that Los Angeles could test the restricted free agent market in search of a long-term answer at center.
Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler and Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren headline that group, although the latter may prove too expensive for the Lakers to realistically pursue.
According to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, Duren’s recent All-NBA selection has made him eligible for a five-year contract worth as much as $287.1 million from Detroit.
However, Hughes does not expect the Pistons center to command a deal anywhere near that figure.
“In fact, this is a bet that Duren also won’t come close to what he could have gotten from Detroit without the All-NBA boost, five years and $239 million,” Hughes wrote.
“The most another team can offer Duren is four years and $177.4 million, and it’s possible the Lakers will kick the tires at that rate. More likely, Duren, in the wake of a hugely disappointing postseason performance, won’t even field offers in that range.”
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Hughes added that he expects Duren to land a deal closer to $190 million over five years, although a shorter three-year contract at a higher annual salary could also be a possibility.
Such a scenario would allow Duren to re-enter free agency in 2029 while maximizing his earnings in the short term.
Regardless of the final figure, it appears increasingly likely that the Lakers could find themselves priced out of any serious pursuit of the Pistons center.
While landing Duren or Kessler may ultimately prove difficult, Buha believes there are still several more affordable options capable of strengthening the Lakers’ frontcourt.
“At least add one more center, or maybe [Deandre Ayton] opts out and then you replace him with a Robert Williams or Mitchell Robinson, something like that,” he said.
“If you could add those two positions, and go into next year with a new center and a new wing, plus Luka [Doncic], Austin [Reaves], and LeBron [James], and also have Marcus [Smart] and Rui [Hachimura] as your sixth and seventh men, I really like that top seven.”
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton previously identified both Williams and Robinson as “realistic possibilities” for the Lakers in unrestricted free agency.
Williams has frequently surfaced as a potential Lakers target because of his rim protection, defensive versatility, and athleticism around the basket, though durability concerns continue to cloud his long-term outlook.
Robinson could emerge as another intriguing option thanks to his rebounding, physicality, and defensive impact in the paint. However, like Williams, Robinson’s injury history is likely to be a factor teams weigh carefully before making a significant commitment.
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