It looks as if Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers are far from accomplishing their main goal in the NBA offseason. After the Lakers stunned the NBA world by trading away Anthony Davis to acquire Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks, many fans wondered about the combination of Dončić and LeBron James and what they could do for the Lakers.
However, NBA experts knew that the team needed to address the issue of having no reliable center with Davis’ departure to the Mavericks. Although the team may have been able to make another move to add an experienced big man to their squad before the trade deadline, the Lakers were unable to finalize a trade. They were eventually eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Since the Lakers began their offseason much sooner than anticipated, many fans believed the team would focus on acquiring a top-tier center and fixing their defensive gaps. While that objective has not changed, the latest news reports reveal that the team is unable to make much progress in getting a star center that they have been keen on for several months.
Will the Lakers Convince the Jazz To Trade Away Walker Kessler?
Even before making the trade for Dončić, the Lakers were already on the lookout for a center to provide assistance to Davis. Although Davis is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the best centers in the league, he has never felt a desire to play the position, given the amount of physicality that comes with being a center.
Walker Kessler is one of the top centers in the NBA in terms of rebounding and defense. As a result, the Lakers have been trying to find a way to acquire him via a trade with the Utah Jazz. However, recent reports reveal that the organization has not made any significant progress in that direction. Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that trade discussions between the Lakers and Jazz have not reached a serious stage yet.
“Welp, got aggregated today. I’ll say this as a point of clarification: while all of the possibilities I mentioned (Sexton to Dallas, LAL interest in Kessler, PHI interest in a pick 3/5 swap) have been discussed, they haven’t gotten into the serious stages to my knowledge,” Larsen wrote on X.
Welp, got aggregated today.
I’ll say this as a point of clarification: while all of the possibilities I mentioned (Sexton to Dallas, LAL interest in Kessler, PHI interest in a pick 3/5 swap) have been discussed, they haven’t gotten into the serious stages to my knowledge.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 18, 2025
Since Kessler is on a four-year contract worth $13,372,418 and still has two years remaining on his deal, his contract is relatively inexpensive, making him a valuable asset for the Jazz to retain. Moreover, Kessler is only 24 years old, meaning that he is still far from entering his prime.
Kessler averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds last season. Listed at seven feet tall and averaging 2.4 blocks, he might just be the perfect running mate for Dončić, who likely needs a center to protect the rim and aid him in executing pick and rolls, something that the Lakers star has done effectively throughout his career.
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Considering that the Jazz have no real chance to contend for an NBA championship in the near future, they might be willing to follow through on a trade involving Kessler in return for assets such as future draft picks. However, that is something that the Lakers are short on, given the various trades they have made in recent history. If the Lakers are unable to convince the Jazz to part ways with Kessler, they will have to continue scouting the market in order to find a suitable alternative before the start of the 2025-2026 season.
