While restricted free agency is a dying concept under the new CBA, the Lakers are positioned to be one of the teams that could still take advantage of the archaic process.
Rarely will a contending team have cap space like the Lakers will this summer, but a perfect storm of circumstances — namely Austin Reaves’ small cap hold — means the Lakers are uniquely positioned. Making matters even better is that the restricted free agent market is a strong one this season, especially when compared to the unrestricted
market.
It should be little surprise, then, that the Lakers have checked in on the top names in restricted free agency, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on Tuesday, including Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler.
There are several restricted free agents the Lakers have already done their due diligence on, sources familiar with the team’s thinking told ESPN.
Two of them, Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons and Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, would satisfy Doncic’s directive to secure an A-list center.
Two others, Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets and Tari Eason of the Rockets, are the type of 3-and-D archetypes who any team needs in order to succeed in the modern NBA.
Those two bigs are not new names for the Lakers to be linked with. More recently, Kessler has become a relevant name again as he seems to be potentially on his way out of Utah. The links between him and the Lakers are long-standing, pre-dating even Luka Dončić’s arrival.
As for Duren, he’s a name that’s popped up more than once with the Lakers, even if it’s slid under the radar more often than not. At the trade deadline in 2025, the Lakers called the Pistons about Duren before trading for Mark Williams. Duren was also on Luka’s wish list after joining the franchise.
Of the two, Kessler seems more gettable. While Duren had an awful postseason, he did have an All-NBA season preceding that and was a vital piece of Detroit securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
The other two names mentioned by McMenamin fill a different hole in the Lakers roster as wings. Watson had a breakout season in Denver and looks set for a big payday that the Nuggets aren’t too eager to give him as things currently stand due to the luxury tax penalties.
Both the team and fans got a firsthand look at Eason in the playoffs this year, but indications seem to be that Houston will pay him this summer since he’s one of the few players on the roster who can shoot.
Even if the Lakers are positioned to take advantage of these situations, restricted free agency remains a difficult and unlikely route to acquire players. But it’s still something worth spending time on, as the Lakers have before the offseason fully begins.
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