The Utah Jazz really showed their generosity when they agreed to send Walker Kessler to the Lakers in return for two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. How nice of them to part with their talented young center for that price, right?
All jokes aside, it kept Los Angeles from going in on Jalen Duren, the other top center on its list at the start of free agency, who is still at odds with Detroit. Sure, Duren is the more proven player, coming off an All-NBA and All-Star season, but he turned down a five-year, $200 million offer from the Pistons, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday.
Before that, Detroit offered $190 million over five years, but as Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported, the center wanted at least $200 million. That duo reported on Monday night that the Pistons' latest offer is fully guaranteed (subscription required) with no team or player options, but they confirmed there was a weight clause.
Putting aside the fact that Trajan Langdon is still haunted by his time in New Orleans with Zion Williamson, with the weight clause that Duren could perceive as the Pistons disrespecting him even more, that's still a lot of money to turn down.
This restricted free-agency saga has more drama than usual, and from afar, the Lakers could be even more glad they didn't bet on Duren.
Jalen Duren's saga keeps getting more bizarre
Duren probably would've been thrilled to go to Los Angeles for a fresh start. The vibes would've been high, and they could've stayed that way for a bit, but it could've only been a matter of time before the Lakers found themselves at a standstill with the center, whether in future contract negotiations or in how he felt he was being valued.
While he is coming off a career season averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, Duren's failure to translate that to the playoffs hurt his value. That's a real concern for the Pistons, so it's not like they're wrongfully holding that against him to pay him less. $200 million isn't chump change.
Kessler hasn't taken the court for the Lakers yet, so the verdict is still out on whether LA's bet on him will pay off. Duren keeps making it look better for both Los Angeles and Utah.
Utah was kind enough to help Los Angeles by sending Kessler their way, ensuring the Lakers avoided what could've become a Duren headache.
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