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As the Lakers close in on a center option in free agency, it appears that the Jazz's asking price for Walker Kessler is still unachievable per a report by Jovan Buha.
“I’ve just heard nothing, but they want two picks plus a young player for Walker Kessler,” he said in the latest edition of his podcast. “So the Lakers cannot do that trade. They can give one pick and one young player and a swap. You could throw in a couple swaps.
“I probably would try to hold off on the later swaps, but I would maybe throw in three swaps like just or- and take away the protections on the top-four pick in 2027, but I just don’t know if that’s going to be enough for Utah.”
Kessler has been linked to the Lakers for months, even before Los Angeles acquired Luka Dončić. But the asking price appeared too high even then.
The young Utah center seemed to be the perfect fit for the Lakers' void at the starting center position with his elite interior defense and finishing ability in the paint. It appears that the Lakers have to look for a path forward in free agency to truly maximize their opportunity.
One option in free agency is former Portland Trail Blazers big man Deandre Ayton. He was bought out by Portland, making him a prime candidate to address the Lakers' issues at center.
Ayton, the top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft (which also saw Dončić acquired by the Mavericks), proved to be an effective option at center for the Blazers despite playing only 40 games. He averaged 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds on 56% shooting.
Perhaps his best performance came in the Blazers' 121-119 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns, his former team, where he finished the game with 25 points and 20 rebounds. This followed a 24-point, seven-rebound performance against the Suns in the previous matchup.
As a Kessler trade seems unlikely, an Ayton free-agency acquisition could be a great move for the Lakers, demonstrating that they are ready to compete in a challenging Western Conference.
