The Los Angeles Lakers felt desperate to improve at the center position after Luka Doncic requested that. Losing LeBron James meant it was easier to dedicate money to the position since a strong big is pivotal in today’s NBA landscape. Walker Kessler ended up being the choice after a trade that allowed the Lakers to sign him to a long-term deal.
Sports Illustrated confirmed that the biggest free agent left was on the Lakers radar:
“The Lakers reportedly viewed Jalen Duren as a max player and had him as their ‘Plan B’ option if the Walker Kessler deal fell through, per Sam Amick.”
Kessler was not an easy player to acquire since it involved trading draft picks to the Utah Jazz and paying him superstar money. Utah General Manager has a reputation for “ripping off” other teams via trades to make the Lakers think hard before going through with the deal.
Duren was the only other viable option to truly improve the roster at center as a free agent. The Detroit Pistons and Duren are still at odds over his contract figure. Duren could have solved his problem months ago if the Lakers didn’t believe this much in Kessler. The move led to Duren now having no options and dragging out the drama with Detroit into training camp.
How Close Were Lakers To Jalen Duren
Utah is again one of the toughest teams for any franchise to trade with. Rob Pelinka took the risk to appease Doncic, but most teams would not trade their last two tradeable first round picks for a young center who played 5 games last season.
Kessler is not a clear successful signing since his health and potential must both reach a best-case scenario. The Lakers could have easily pivoted to Duren to go with a more proven player who served as a second option behind Cade Cunningham.
Despite the disappointing playoff games, Duren helped the Pistons reach the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The same style of offense in Los Angeles sees Luka running the show like Cade. Duren would have been happy as a third option on the Lakers behind Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Why Lakers Chose Walker Kessler Over Jalen Duren
Multiple variables made Kessler the easier option to acquire and place into the starting lineup. Doncic loves Kessler’s style and sees him similar to what Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively provided for the Dallas Mavericks when Luka last reached the NBA Finals.
Utah also seemed more prone to trade Kessler due to his need for a big contract extension. Names like Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson are already making big money for that team with more contracts expiring soon to warrant losing Kessler’s contract.
The Lakers also knew that Duren would be a bit more expensive since he’s coming off an All-Star and All-NBA season. Pelinka went with the easier route of getting the trade done quickly to add Kessler and have the roster ready for Luka. Duren’s contract would be a far bigger risk, especially since his offensive playoff woes would make Lakers fans turn against him.
Lakers Almost Made Move For Jalen Duren This Summer