Though the Lakers’ roster appears set in stone, don’t expect it to look the same if the group underperforms midseason. New reports say the Lakers are still eyeing Walker Kessler. But this time around, it comes with an even steeper demand from Utah.
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Kessler and the Jazz are currently at a crossroads, unable to come to an agreement on a rookie-scale extension. With the standout big man heading into a contract year, the Lakers—unsurprisingly—remain interested in trading for him. However, Danny Ainge and the Jazz seem to be upping the ante on the asking price.
A source told Lakers Daily that in order to land Kessler, LA would need to give up Austin Reaves and multiple first-round picks.
A 2023 All-Rookie First Team selection, Kessler just averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Though the Jazz view Kessler as a future cornerstone, they want to keep him while maintaining financial flexibility, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Reaves has enjoyed a rise to stardom in his own right, averaging offensive career-highs across the board last season (20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists). His future with the Lakers has also been called into question because of the rumored desires for his next contract: a salary north of $30 million. While Lakers coaches, executives and fans hold Reaves in high regard, there have been growing whispers to trade him to avoid losing him for nothing next summer.
These rumors come at a puzzling time considering the Lakers have their starting center in Deandre Ayton. If things were to go south, then Kessler would be a logical upgrade, but certainly not for LA’s third best player in Reaves.
Where Rob Pelinka Stands on Trades
At Thursday’s press conference with head coach JJ Redick, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka emphasized a commitment to growth and entertained the possibility of midseason trades.
“The goal remains the same, [it] is to put Lakers players on the court that can try to win a championship,” he said. “And we feel like we have the optionality that, if we’re not seeing that in the first 20-25 games, then we can look to make moves to meet that goal.”
When later asked if he’d be willing to move on from future picks, Pelinka replied: “If a transaction comes to us that leads to sustained Lakers excellence and puts us in a position to increase our odds of winning a championship, we would put future draft capital in to make that move.”
If the Lakers really believe Kessler is critical to their title pursuits, then perhaps the third time will the charm. But with LA largely unwilling to trade Reaves and Utah insisting on an exorbitant return, any talks between these two can be safely put to rest.
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