Deandre Ayton has opted in on his contract, but clearly the Los Angeles Lakers need more. Especially after the apparent demand of Luka Doncic for an A-list center ahead of his second full season with Purple and Gold. Their search gets a boost after the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren are a “sizable distance apart in negotiations.”

“Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, one of the top restricted free agents on the market this summer, has a pair of meetings with outside teams scheduled for when free agency officially begins Tuesday. One of the teams is the Los Angeles Lakers, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN.”

Amid the demand for an “A-list center,” Duren would certainly fit the bill. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported, “Luka Doncic is known to be a fan of Duren’s game” and that the 22-year-old has a call scheduled with the Lakers tomorrow. Now, the Purple and Gold franchise has the cap space for it, but there is a problem.

With Deandre Ayton opting in and Marcus Smart expected to opt out, there is $52 million in cap space if they decline Nick Smith’s team option. Clearly, they can’t fit both LeBron James and Jalen Duren, as the latter is expected to command over $40 million. So, the Lakers can make the offer, but as a restricted free agent, the Pistons would have the right to match within 48 hours.

This would tie up the Lakers’ money in the interim, making it a challenge to fill out the rest of the roster as they could lose out on other options. A sign-and-trade option becomes viable, as Omari Sankofa II, the Pistons reporter for the Detroit Free Press, stated the Pistons are unlikely to give Jalen Duren either a supermax or a regular max contract.

“Because he made third-team All-NBA, Duren reached the ‘higher maximum criteria’ that increased the maximum money the Pistons can offer – up to five years and $287 million, a substantial bump from the previous $239 million he was eligible for. But he’s unlikely to see either figure following an underwhelming postseason performance that ended with a seven-game loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

The stance on Duren’s long-term extension in Detroit changed.  Two weeks ago, Dave McMenamin said, “I already heard from someone in the Detroit organization today that said, ‘Hey, tell Luka to leave JD alone,’” on ESPN’s NBA Today. From rejecting advances from Luka Doncic to now the Lakers scheduling a meeting tomorrow is a huge change of heart. But the Pistons star has more suitors.

Duren’s reported interest in Lakers rivals

The Sacramento Kings, historic Pacific Division rivals of the Lakers, are also interested in Duren. Per league sources, the most likely scenario here would include Kings forward Domantas Sabonis heading to Detroit. Sabonis has a $45 million contract, and Sam Amick tweeted the current advantage that the Kings have.

“I’m told that Jalen Duren very much wants to play in Sacramento and Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is likewise interested in the prospect of landing with the Pistons.”

The current Kings’ 2026-27 cap sheet is at $216.1 million total salaries with 13 players rostered. This places them $15.9 million over the luxury tax and deep into the first apron after Zach LaVine’s $49 million player option exercise. So, clearly, the Kings can swap out Sabonis, and the Lakers already have the cap space. But the Pistons hold the advantage due to restricted free agency.