The Los Angeles Lakers are trading for Utah Jazz restricted free-agent center Walker Kessler to pair with Luka Dončić, according to ESPN. Kessler is expected to sign a four-year, $130 million deal with Los Angeles.
The Jazz are reportedly getting back unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030.
The Lakers created a massive hole at center the moment they traded for Dončić. While the deal itself was a home run, it cost them Anthony Davis, and since his only backup at the time was Jaxson Hayes, they had little size to work with immediately after completing the deal. They acted swiftly at the trade deadline to pursue a long-term big man, trading several draft assets to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Mark Williams, but once they got a look at Williams up close in his physical exam, they elected to nix the deal.
Last offseason, they signed Deandre Ayton, hoping that the former No. 1 overall pick could be their center of the future. While Ayton improved throughout the season, his inconsistent defense, rebounding and effort made him more of a stopgap than a true solution. With the potential to create genuine max cap space this offseason, the Lakers made it their top priority to find a big to pair with Dončić.
In Kessler, the Lakers are taking a chance on a player they have been linked to for several years now. Kessler is, statistically, one of the most dominant rim-protectors in the NBA. He is an elite offensive rebounder as well, and while the volume is tiny, there have at least been flashes of his potential as a 3-point shooter. He is offensively limited, but is going from a Jazz team that has largely never had strong veteran point guards to a Laker team led by Dončić. He has room to grow on that end of the floor, though his 54.5% shooting from the free-throw line is a significant red flag.
The Jazz, meanwhile, are about to turn a corner from perpetual rebuilder to possible Western Conference contender. However, after re-signing Lauri Markkanen to a max contract in the 2024 offseason and then acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline, they have quite a bit of money invested in their front court. Couple those investments with a rookie extension for Keyonte George, who is now eligible for one, and the Utah roster was about to get pretty expensive if they kept Kessler.
