The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the market for a big—and they’ve reportedly zeroed in on one of the NBA’s top young rim protectors.
According to Andy Larsen, beat writer for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Lakers have shown “significant interest” in Walker Kessler, the 7-footer currently anchoring the Utah Jazz frontcourt.
“Giving up multiple picks to get there, that is on the table right now,” Larsen said on Full Court Press. “I don’t know if the Jazz take it. Certainly, they haven’t so far.”
via @FullCourtPass
Lakers Still Looking for Their Long-Term Center
This isn’t new. The Lakers have been sniffing around Kessler for months.
“Finding a front-line center remains a clear offseason priority for the Lakers, who have maintained a longstanding interest in Utah’s Walker Kessler,” Marc Stein reported.
Kessler, just 23, is under contract and averaging 2.4 blocks per game across each of his last two seasons. He posted 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in 58 starts this past year. The Jazz have built one of the most effective interior defenses around his instincts and timing.
Offensively, he’s still a work in progress—but there’s some stretch potential. Kessler attempted 34 threes last season, making just six, but his touch around the rim and floater range has scouts intrigued about future growth.
Will the Jazz Actually Move Kessler?
That’s the bigger question.
While rival teams like the Lakers are circling, the Jazz aren’t eager to sell low. Utah president Austin Ainge isn’t interested in tanking, and Kessler and Lauri Markkanen are two of the few bright spots on a team that finished with a league-worst 17 wins.
Still, the Jazz hold four picks in the upcoming draft and already have a roster stacked with young talent. If they were ever going to “sell high,” now might be the moment. A recent Bleacher Report prediction floated the idea of the Lakers offering something like Dalton Knecht, a 2031 first-round pick, and a future swap to get it done.
So far, Utah hasn’t bitten. But talks are alive.
Why Kessler Makes Sense for LA
The Lakers are clearly trying to build around LeBron James and Luka Dončić without leaning too hard into aging veterans. Kessler would give them a young, low-cost, defensive anchor who doesn’t need the ball and can grow in a system that already has shot creators.
That’s exactly why the Jazz are hesitant to let him go.
But in a market where young, controllable bigs are rare, the Lakers’ continued interest in Kessler is telling. They’re clearly willing to pay. The only question now: what will it take for Utah to say yes?
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