The Detroit Pistons are reportedly interested in signing Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves. Luka Doncic has reportedly asked the Lakers to acquire an, "A-list center." Though those facts might not seem connected on the surface, they've created a path for both goals to be achieved: A sign-and-trade that centers around Jalen Duren and Reaves.
It's entirely unclear if either side would even entertain such a possibility, but this is the proverbial feeding of two birds with one Duren-for-Reaves themed scone.
Detroit and Los Angeles are in similar positions with superstar point guards and a need for a high-level player to put alongside them. While the Pistons need a shot creator to take pressure off of Cade Cunningham, the Lakers are searching for a center with whom Doncic can run the pick and roll.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, that's led to Doncic informing the Lakers that his top priority this offseason is for the team to acquire an "A-list center."
"While the 27-year-old Doncic is preparing for another season squarely in his prime, he has made one roster preference clear to Pelinka and Redick, sources said..."Luka's first and foremost desire is an A-list center," the source said."
With the Lakers lacking ideal trade assets and the open market not exactly featuring a surplus of high-level centers, that makes a Duren-for-Reaves swap a possibility worth considering.
Luka eyes A-list center, opens door for Duren for Reaves sign-and-trade
Detroit can create the space to sign Reaves outright, which could instantly eliminate this hypothetical sign-and-trade as a possibility. Doing so would require it to make several undesirable concessions, however, including waiving Duncan Robinson and renouncing cap holds for several key players, including starting forward Tobias Harris.
That may ultimately prove to be the optimal path forward, but the Pistons would effectively be trading depth for star power—a risky endeavor, albeit with obvious upside.
If the Pistons would rather not fill up their cap space with Cunningham, Duren, and Reaves, then a sign-and-trade could be an option. Justifying the decision to do so would likely depend on one outcome: Duren signing an offer sheet with the Lakers that Detroit is unwilling to match.
If that scenario plays out, then a sign-and-trade that may seem absurd on the surface would suddenly become a more realistic endeavor.
Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported on June 3 that the Pistons are expected to sign Duren to a five-year deal in the range of $200 million and $220 million. That would put him between $40 million and $44 million per season. If Duren signs an offer sheet worth the full max of $177.4 million across four years with the Lakers, however, and the Pistons are unwilling to meet the higher end of that number, then it's at least worth considering if a sign-and-trade could prove worthwhile.
If nothing else, Doncic has given the Lakers the push they need to pursue more costly options at center. That opens a new kind of door for the Pistons to acquire Reaves.
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