LeBron James told the Lakers on Tuesday he’s done in Los Angeles. Eight seasons, four All-NBA nods, one ring in 2020. That chapter is closed. And the front office didn’t waste much time figuring out what comes next.
According to multiple reports, the Lakers’ focus is shifting fast toward finding a long-term center. Two names keep surfacing: Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler. Both are restricted free agents. Both are young. Both fit the timeline of a roster that now orbits around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel posted on X that he expects LA to make a serious run at one of them. “With LeBron James officially leaving the Lakers, expect LA to make a big move to find their center of the future in either Jalen Duren or Walker Kessler,” Siegel wrote. “I’d be surprised if they didn’t land one of them in the coming days.”
The news broke first from ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reported that Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told the league LeBron would play elsewhere in 2026-27. That opened the door for the Lakers to pivot hard. And they did.
Jalen Duren has a call scheduled with the Lakers
Duren is a 22-year-old center for the Detroit Pistons who rebounds like a 10-year vet and protects the rim with serious energy. He’s also a restricted free agent, which means the Lakers can’t just sign him outright. They’d need a sign-and-trade with Detroit. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, LA has a conversation lined up with Duren for tomorrow. “Another sign-and-trade scenario emerges,” Amick wrote on X.
Duren’s age and skill set make him an obvious target. He’s exactly the kind of interior presence the Lakers have lacked for years. And with Doncic running the offense, a big who can finish lobs and clean up misses is a pretty natural fit.
Walker Kessler is plan B — or maybe plan A
Kessler is 24 and already one of the best defensive centers in the league. He’s also a restricted free agent with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz can match any offer sheet, which complicates things. But the Lakers are interested. Multiple teams are circling, but LA has reportedly shown enough interest that Utah knows it might have to pay to keep him.
Either Duren or Kessler gives the Lakers a defensive anchor they haven’t had since — well, since they had a healthy Anthony Davis. But that era is over too, in a sense. Doncic and Reaves are the guys now. The front office has cap space and motivation. The next few days should tell us which way they go.
One thing’s for sure: the Lakers aren’t waiting around to figure this out.
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