Report: Duren's meeting with Lakers went smoothly! The Purple and Gold consider him worth a max contract; Pistons may forcibly match to keep him.

On July 1, Beijing time, per prominent journalist Amick, sources informed The Athletic that Pistons' restricted free agent center Jalen Duren met with the Lakers today and the discussions went well; they plan to meet again tomorrow morning local time.

Several unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations said that the Lakers expressed to Duren during the meeting that the team believes he is a max-contract caliber player. The 22-year-old big man has also received strong interest from the Sacramento Kings, who also held a meeting with Duren today and indicated they would continue exploring a sign-and-trade deal to acquire him.

The three-time All-NBA interior player had been disappointed with the Pistons' extension offer, so he has been exploring other options outside Detroit.

Both the Lakers and Kings face significant obstacles: in recent days, the Pistons have sent a clear signal that they will match any offer sheet from other teams and refuse to cooperate with any sign-and-trade deal.Specifically, the Pistons have absolutely no interest in a sign-and-trade with the Kings, even if the latter is willing to send three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.

After LeBron James informed the Lakers that he would not return, the Lakers suddenly freed up significant salary cap space. Duren is a top frontcourt talent who can pair long-term with franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić, perfectly aligning with the Lakers' team-building philosophy. For the Kings, Duren is also a key piece in reshaping their roster; this year, the Kings used the No. 7 pick to select Arkansas point guard Acuff and are in the process of restructuring their core.