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The biggest signing Lakers must make with LeBron James leaving in free agency
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- The biggest signing Lakers must make with LeBron James leaving in free agency
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The Los Angeles Lakers recently saw the LeBron James era come to an end when the star announced he would not be returning to the team in free agency, as reported by NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN. The move brings James' time in Los Angeles to a close after eight seasons, and gives Los Angeles a clearer picture ahead of free agency, which begins on Tuesday evening.
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The Lakers still have plenty of needs on their roster, most notably in the frontcourt, and one player whom they should seriously consider signing is Detroit Pistons big man Jalen Duren , who is slated to hit restricted free agency. Rumblings have emerged about a disconnect between Duren and the Pistons over the last few days on a potential new deal, with the possibility of a sign-and-trade to a new team being floated by some, and whether through a trade or just a signing, Los Angeles should certainly be working the phones.
Duren had an All-Star season for the Pistons last year, anchoring their defense around the basket and providing elite offensive rebounding, lob finishing, and even some post moves on the offensive end on a team that shocked many by securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately, Duren's play fell off a cliff in the playoffs, as he was outplayed in consecutive series by Wendell Carter Jr. and Jarrett Allen , causing some to wonder if his value on the free agent market might dip dramatically. Still, the Lakers should certainly be trying to pry him away from Detroit if they can.
Last year's frontcourt rotation for the Lakers was an adventure, to put it nicely, with Deandre Ayton at times looking like a solid starting center, but too often losing focus and not providing the skill set a Luka Doncic big man needs in order to thrive. While Ayton will be back next year after picking up his player option, Duren provides many more of the tools that Doncic needs from his center, with elite hands, strength, and solid rim protection, both of which were exhibited by Daniel Gafford in the Dallas Mavericks ' run to the NBA Finals in 2024, with Doncic at the helm.
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Of course, getting Duren will not be cheap, but the Lakers now have some money to spend now that James is no longer in the mix. If they have a realistic chance at Duren, they should not let last year's playoff failure stop them from striking a deal.
Related: The biggest trade Lakers must make after losing LeBron James in free agency
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