The Los Angeles Lakers have been interested in Walker Kessler for a while now, but they cannot find a price that will satisfy the Utah Jazz. Last year, during the trade deadline, the Lakers were among the teams asking for Kessler. The Utah Jazz choose not to trade their young center, and the saga continues. According to the latest rumors, the Utah Jazz have a strict asking price, one that Los Angeles cannot afford.
Lakers Cannot Pay Jazz’s Asking Price For Coveted Trade Target
The problem for the Lakers is that Danny Ainge makes the calls in Utah. He has a notorious reputation for trying to squeeze out every possible asset in a trade. Ainge has yet to lose a trade he has made, and that is not going to change anytime soon.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, the Jazz want two first-round picks, plus a young player for their starting center. Right now, the Lakers cannot afford that trade price for Walker Kessler.
There is no denying that Los Angeles needs a center, maybe even two. Right now, they have no center on their roster. And while there are rumors that they will get Deandre Ayton once he clears waivers, they will still need a backup. Plus, Ayton has a history of missing games due to injuries.
What Can the Lakers Afford?
Right now, the Lakers cannot trade a first-round pick until 2031. They owe their 2027 first-round pick, protected 1-4 to the Utah Jazz. And they owe their first-round pick in 2029 to the Dallas Mavericks. Per NBA rules, teams cannot trade picks in consecutive years, and they cannot trade more than seven years in advance.
The Lakers have their 2026, ’28, and ’30 picks, but they are not tradable. They can give them up as swaps, but they cannot give up two first-round picks. The only pick they can trade right now is their 2031, and swaps in ’26, ’28, ’30, and ’32. Will that be enough for Utah? We will have to wait and see.
Is Kessler the Answer to Lakers’ Problems?
Walker Kessler is one of the better defensive centers in the league. Last season, he finished fifth in total rebounds per game, and second in blocks per game. And he played only 30 minutes per game. Kessler will be able to solve their defensive issues and provide plenty of rim protection.
On the offensive end, he is rather limited. Kessler can roll and catch lobs, but nothing more. To be fair, that is the main thing he needs while playing alongside Luka Doncic. Most importantly, he is only 23 years old and will be able to grow and develop alongside Luka. Trading for Kessler will set the Lakers up for the next five to seven years.
Dalton Knecht Is the Odd Man Out in Los Angeles
If the Lakers are going to trade for Kessler, they will also have to include a young player. That young player is almost certainly going to be Dalton Knecht. He makes a little less than Kessler, and is only 24 years old. There is no other player making around $4 million that the Jazz would love to have. The Jazz look like a team ready to move all of their veteran players, and even some young ones for the right price.
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