Key Points
- Pistons center Jalen Duren will meet with the Lakers and Kings as free agency opens.
- The center is coming off his first All-Star season and a Third-Team All-NBA nod.
- Detroit says it won't do a sign-and-trade and will match any offer sheet.
- A possible sign-and-trade could send Domantas Sabonis to Detroit.
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, one of the top restricted free agents on the market, has meetings scheduled with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings as free agency opens, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
Duren, 22, is coming off his first All-Star season and a Third-Team All-NBA nod, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 65% shooting, and has grown frustrated with Detroit's initial contract offer. The Lakers have interest — Luka Doncic has told the front office he wants to pair with an "A-list center" — and a sign-and-trade scenario could send Domantas Sabonis to Detroit.
The catch is his contract status. As a restricted free agent, Duren can field offers, but the Pistons say they will not entertain a sign-and-trade and intend to match any sheet he signs — which makes these meetings leverage as much as courtship. They are part of a frantic market that has already lost LeBron James from the Lakers, moved Kawhi Leonard toward Toronto, and sent shooters like Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami.
Source: ESPN.
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