Despite being overseas in Slovenia, Luka Doncic has made his demands clear for roster changes. Ahead of his second full season, a lob threat who can protect the rim remains a priority, as the Los Angeles Lakers shortlisted Jalen Duren as a potential solution. But the Detroit Pistons have apparently sent their answer, as per Dave McMenamin.

“I already heard from someone in the Detroit organization today that said, ‘Hey, tell Luka to leave JD alone,'” McMenamin said on ESPN’s NBA Today.

“The initial kind of message that Doncic gave to the Lakers is, ‘get me an A-list center, and we’ll see who fits that bill’. Like those are the two top restricted free agents. We’re talking about Walker Kessler and certainly Jalen Duren, an all-star who had the best year of his career.”

The problem in pursuit of both RFAs is quite simple. Restricted means that you sign them to an offer sheet, and their teams can match that. You could sign them to an offer sheet, and then their current team could match it, and then you have nobody. That’s why the names of Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III have also been floated around.

Throughout his NBA career, Luka Doncic has thrived alongside big men who can set hard screens, sprint to the rim and finish above the basket. It was certainly on display in Dallas with centers such as Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. But with the Lakers, the addition of DeAndre Ayton, whom Doncic personally recruited, hasn’t gone as planned. Similarly, the Pistons have a problem with their starting center, too.

They are also stuck in a fierce negotiation stalemate with young star center Jalen Duren. After betting on himself by declining a previous rookie extension, Duren turned heads by earning an All-Star nod and an All-NBA Third Team selection. Duren officially triggered Designated Rookie criteria, making him eligible for a massive 5-year, $287 million supermax maximum extension starting at 30% of the salary cap. But Duren experienced a disastrous drop-off in the postseason.

His scoring crashed from 19.5 points per game down to just 10.2 points per game as Cleveland’s frontcourt thoroughly outplayed him in the second round. Despite the drop-off, the suitors remain strong for the 22-year-old center. And that’s why the Pistons are swatting away any potential offers to convince Duren to leave some money on the table.

Luka Doncic on his LeBron James and Austin Reaves pursuit

Dave McMenamin further reported that, as per a source close to Doncic, the player is in touch with both LeBron James and Austin Reaves since the season ended, but hasn’t pitched either player on returning to L.A.

That’s because they have nearly $50 million in cap space this summer. At most, they can consider $20-$30 million for James and re-sign Austin Reaves. While the Lakers are deliberating, rumors continue to link James to the Golden State Warriors, who can offer the $15.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Similarly, the Brooklyn Nets might be interested in trading for Reaves. They might put a $179 million contract on the table.

According to The Athletic, “League sources said the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are among a group of interested teams that can create space to make competitive offers. Other teams could also emerge.”

So a Duren-Reaves trade could also be on the cards.