Jalen Duren to meet Lakers, Kings as NBA free agency
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- Jalen Duren is scheduled to meet with the Sacramento Kings and take a call from the Los Angeles Lakers when free agency opens Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, per reports from Chris Haynes and The Athletic's Sam Amick.
- The Detroit Pistons can offer Duren a five-year, $287 million extension (30% of the cap) after his All-NBA Third-Team selection, while other teams are capped at roughly $177.4 million over four years via sign-and-trade.
- Duren averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the regular season while helping Detroit finish as the No. 1 seed in the East, but his scoring fell to 10.2 points per game in the playoffs.
- The Sacramento Kings could structure a sign-and-trade around Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine, who just opted into his $49 million player option for 2026-27 — with Sabonis cited as the more logical centerpiece.
- The Los Angeles Lakers list center as their biggest offseason need and see Duren as a fit alongside Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić, who are under contract through at least 2027-28.
- Detroit lost Isaiah Stewart this offseason, and the analysis frames Duren staying put as the most likely outcome because the Pistons hold matching rights and can simply outpay any suitor.
Why it matters: Detroit holds matching rights on Duren and can offer up to $287 million versus the $177.4 million ceiling elsewhere — a roughly $110 million gap that gives the Pistons enormous leverage. A Kings pursuit would require attaching Sabonis or LaVine to make the money work, while the Lakers' ability to sign Duren hinges on LeBron James leaving in free agency and clearing cap space.
