With the NBA Finals now over and the Oklahoma City Thunder crowned as champions, the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans can fully turn their attention to the task of addressing the team’s multiple roster needs.
First on the Lakers’ to-do list is acquiring a starting-caliber center. According to one reporter, they may have made a trade offer for Walker Kessler, an emerging 23-year-old stud for the Utah Jazz, and he is someone they have reportedly been interested in for a while.
But per Brett Siegel, Kessler may not even be available.
“As reported by ClutchPoints’ Los Angeles Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, the Lakers have discussed a potential John Collins trade with the Utah Jazz. Collins has long been on LA’s radar as an athletic power forward who can stretch the floor and be a threat to score outside of Luka Doncic and LeBron James,” Siegel wrote. “Walker Kessler remains high on the Lakers’ wish list as well, although league sources continue to downplay his actual availability in Utah.”
The Lakers are reportedly seriously interested in Collins as well, and Irwin reported that they could perhaps look to acquire both Collins and Kessler in the same deal.
Kessler could possibly be the closest thing to the ideal young center for Los Angeles. He averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game this season, and while he isn’t extremely athletic, he could be a reliable lob threat alongside Luka Doncic, not to mention an excellent defensive backbone in the middle.
He will make $4.9 million next season, so he shouldn’t cost too much in terms of player compensation, although one has to expect Utah to ask for quite a bit of draft compensation — if he’s actually made available.
It should be noted that the CEO of the Jazz is Danny Ainge, the former Boston Celtics guard who is still disliked by many Lakers fans. One has to assume Ainge doesn’t want to help his old rivals in any way, especially after he aided the Lakers in the Luka Doncic trade when they roped in his Jazz as a third team in the deal without Ainge knowing it.
