The Lakers took a hit on the opening day of NBA free agency, but they may have found a small lift in one of their biggest pursuits.
LeBron James made it clear he will not be back with Los Angeles, saying he intends to sign with another team as an unrestricted free agent. Luke Kennard is also leaving, with the sharpshooter headed to the Phoenix Suns.
Even with those departures, the Lakers appear to have momentum with restricted free agent Jalen Duren. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Duren had such a “productive meeting” with the 17-time NBA champions that he is planning to meet with them again on Wednesday.
That second sit-down matters because the Lakers are believed to be serious about making a substantial offer to the Detroit Pistons center. Duren is one of three restricted free agents on Los Angeles’ radar, alongside Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler and Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson.
Kessler is viewed as the Lakers’ top target, while Watson has also been mentioned as part of the team’s summer search.
The urgency is obvious. After agreeing to a lucrative long-term deal with Austin Reaves, Los Angeles has shifted its focus to finding an A-list center, something Luka Doncic requested before the 2026-27 campaign.
With the free-agent center market thinning fast as players either stay put or land elsewhere, the Lakers may need to be aggressive if they want to solve their biggest need.
How this plays out now will say plenty about the direction of the franchise as the LeBron era winds down and the Luka era begins.
In Other News...
Pistons May Have Found Another Shooting Flyer Worth Watching
The Pistons offseason has already started to take on the look of a team trying to keep building depth around its young core, with the front office using the draft and undrafted free agency to hunt for players who might fit a clear developmental lane. After selecting Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie in the 2026 NBA Draft, Detroit also brought in Langston University sharpshooter Orlando Thomas, a player whose college rise ended with Second-Team All-American honors at the NAIA level and enough buzz to earn a Summer League invitation.
Thomas is still very much in evaluation mode, but the appeal is easy to see for a club that values defense and perimeter shooting. He projects as a developmental prospect who could help in those areas if his game translates, and the Pistons may have a longer look at him through Summer League and possibly with their G League affiliate, giving him a path to stick if he keeps making shots and proving he can hold up on the other end. [Read more 🡒]
Tobias Harris Just Put The Pistons In A Tough Spot
The Pistons are heading into the offseason with their frontcourt plans still unsettled, and Tobias Harris sits right at the center of it. Detroit has not locked down new deals with its upcoming free agents, and Harris remains one of the most important names on the board because of what he brought as a scorer and a steady veteran voice. At the same time, the team is evaluating ways to improve at power forward, which makes this a delicate balance between continuity and change.
Harris gives Detroit a kind of reliability that is not easy to replace, especially for a team trying to keep moving up the East. But the longer the contract situation drags on, the more the Pistons have to weigh whether to prioritize his familiarity or chase a different type of fit in free agency or trade talks. However that resolves, this is one of those decisions that can quietly shape the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Sasser Rumors Could Signal A Much Bigger Pistons Move
Rumors around Marcus Sasser have started to feel like more than just a simple end-of-roster discussion for Detroit. Reports suggest the Pistons are at least open to moving the second-year guard, and Dallas has surfaced as a possible trade partner as teams keep circling the kind of deal that could help Detroit reshape the back end of the roster while also keeping an eye on payroll.
The real intrigue is what kind of return the Pistons would chase if they decided to act. Role players such as Naji Marshall, Max Christie and even PJ Washington have been mentioned in the broader trade conversation, which tells you this is not just about clearing a spot, but about whether Detroit can turn a movable piece into something that better fits its next step. [Read more 🡒]