The Lakers’ interest in Jalen Duren hints at their long-term plan at center

The Lakers appear to have a type when it comes to finding Anthony Davis’ successor.

As it turns out, Mark Williams wasn’t the only center the Lakers tried to acquire before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

During a recent episode of his “Buha’s Block” podcast, Jovan Buha of The Athletic revealed that the Lakers “inquired” about Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren as well (58:30 mark). He said the Pistons didn’t want to give up Duren at the trade deadline, but he added “You never know. Things could change in the summer.”

Between Williams and Duren, it seems like the Lakers have a particular type of big man they’re targeting to pair with Luka Dončić long-term. Both were mid-first-round picks in the 2022 NBA draft, which means they’ll each be on a cheap rookie-scale contract for one more season before receiving a raise in 2026.

The Lakers’ interest in that archetype might hint at their long-term plans, particularly with regard to LeBron James’ future.

If LeBron retires after the 2025-26 season, the Lakers could have upward of $70 million in cap space heading into the 2026 offseason. They’d have more than enough room to sign a free agent to a max contract before re-signing Austin Reaves. Their goal between now and 2026 may be to preserve as much of that financial flexibility as possible.

That might be among the reasons why the Lakers went after Williams and Duren at the trade deadline. Neither would prevent them from going after another star in free agency in 2026 as long as they didn’t sign extensions this coming offseason.

Since both Duren and Williams earn less than the league’s average salary and are coming off rookie-scale contracts, their free-agent cap holds in 2026 will be 300% of their 2025-26 salary. Duren will make nearly $6.5 million next year, so his cap hold will be nearly $19.5 million, while Williams will earn just shy of $6.3 million, making his cap hold around $18.8 million.

Had the Lakers signed either Duren or Williams to an extension this summer, the starting salary of his new deal would immediately go onto their books in 2026. But if they waited, knowing that they had the right to match any offer sheet that either one signed with another team as a restricted free agent, they’d potentially be able to sign a free agent to a max contract before re-signing both Reaves and their big man of choice.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler holds a similar appeal for that reason. He was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2022 draft and will earn only $4.9 million next year, so his free-agent cap hold ($14.6 million) would be even smaller than that of Duren or Williams. Unfortunately, Danny Ainge is the Jazz’s CEO, so he’d likely demand LeBron in return for Kessler.

The Houston Rockets might be open to moving Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 pick from the 2022 draft, but the cap hold trick wouldn’t work for him. He’s set to earn $12.35 million next season, so his cap hold in 2026 would be roughly $37 million. Fellow Rockets big man Tari Eason is only earning $5.7 million next season, although it’s tough to imagine Houston moving on from him, considering how well he’s played this year.

The Lakers don’t have to limit their search to 2022 first-round picks, though. They could target a veteran big man such as Brook Lopez or Clint Capela in free agency, although they’ll likely only have the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception to offer this summer. Otherwise, they figure to pursue relatively inexpensive options on the trade market to preserve as much cap space for the 2026 offseason as possible.

If they’re willing to gamble on an injury risk, Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III or New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson could be viable options. Both are heading into the final year of their contracts in 2025-26 and will earn around $13 million each. Depending on where the league’s average salary lands, their cap holds could also be right around $20 million in 2026.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. could also merit consideration. He’s earning only $10.85 million next year before his three-year, $58.7 million extension begins in 2026-27. He’ll earn only $18.1 million in the first year of that extension, so he wouldn’t prevent the Lakers from having enough cap space to sign a max player in free agency.

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton would be slightly more complicated in that regard. He’s finishing up the first year of his four-year, $97 million contract, although it descends in value each year. He’ll earn $25.3 million next season, which could make it difficult for the Lakers to acquire him from a salary-matching perspective.

The Chicago Bulls shopped Nikola Vučević ahead of this year’s trade deadline, but the 34-year-old wouldn’t be a long-term fit with Dončić. The Lakers figure to skew younger if they’re giving up assets to acquire a center.

Toronto Raptors big man Jakob Poeltl might be more intriguing in that regard, although he turns 30 in October, and Raptors president Masai Ujiri does not seem to have the appetite for a full-scale rebuild.

Regardless of whomever the Lakers go after this summer to address their hole in the frontcourt, they’ll need to remain mindful of how that player will impact their ability to add another star once James retires. Their interest in Williams and Duren suggests that’s front of mind for them.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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