Episode
Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler are Taking Meetings. Do the Lakers Have a Shot?
- Published
- Jun 30, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2438
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-lakers/
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/locked-on-lakers-daily-podcast-on-the-los-angeles-lakers-174397/episodes/jalen-duren-and-walker-kessler-are-taking-meetings-do-the-lakers-have-a-shot/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-lakers-daily-podcast-on-the-los-angeles-lakers-174397/jalen-duren-and-walker-kessler-are-taking-meetings-do-the-lakers-have-a-shot.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
The market for restricted free agents is starting to heat up a little, and it starts with meetings! Both Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren are at least testing the market as free agency begins. Duren seems to be more in conflict with his current employers in Detroit than Kessler but both of them are taking meetings and considering offers. Can the Lakers compete? Particularly if Detroit and Utah will demand good returns on a trade as opposed to lower numbers on the contract? The Lakers don't have a ton to offer on the trade front, but do have cash they can throw at guys. Would that be enough? And which guy would be a better fit? Duren is a more dynamic athlete (though Kessler is a very impressive athlete to be able to anchor a defense at his size -- 7'2", 250) and the better offensive player. Great rebounder, great hands, great lob threat for Luka, and he's very young. Kessler? More limited offense, defensive metrics that are off the charts. Great rebounder, great shot blocker. Can the Lakers use him in ways that maximize his defensive talents? Meanwhile, LeBron James is considering the Warriors. That's not new. But now the rumors are that he wants to go there... with Anthony Davis? That would be fascinating. All the fun starts at 3 pm PT. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The big name centers are taking meetings. SEGMENT 2: Which guy is better fit? SEGMENT 3: What about LeBron? Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sp…