Despite significant interest from multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz are reportedly reluctant to trade center Walker Kessler. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the belief around the league is that Kessler is “not available in any realistic trade scenarios.”
Walker Kessler “not available” For The Lakers
Selected 22nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kessler was subsequently acquired by the Jazz in the blockbuster trade that sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota.
While Kessler has attracted considerable attention from contending teams, the Jazz appear unwilling to part with the young center, who has quickly established himself as a defensive anchor in Utah.
The door for the trade has been nearly shut for some time now with reports stating that Jazz CEO of Basketball Operations, “Danny Ainge has expressed concern that Kessler would stop the Lakers from fully bottoming out as Anthony Davis ages and after LeBron James retires.”
Other Big Men On the Radar
LA has long been associated with multiple bigs around the league. According to Clutch Points Senior Insider, Anthony Irwin, “Lakers sources say they’ve held internal conversations about Robert Williams of the Portland Trail Blazers, Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe, and Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz.”
The longest-standing trade target has been for Washington Wizards center, Jonas Valanciunas.
LA has ‘A Real Desire to See’ 2nd Unit Before Making Another Trade
That said, Woike also reported that LA is in no hurry to make more trades after picking up Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets last week in exchange for guard D’Angelo Russell, forward Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks.
“Instead of rushing into a deal for a backup big man, the Lakers do have a real desire to see what their second unit looks like once Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent are on the court together—something that happened just once a season ago,” Woike wrote Sunday.