The Los Angeles Lakers have been in search of a long-term solution at center ever since they acquired Luka Doncic. They attempted to do so by trading for Mark Williams last season, but the trade fell through after Williams failed his physical.
Since then, the Lakers have put a band-aid on the position, with Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes occupying the five spot for the season. Both had their moments, but they aren’t fooling anyone as long-term center options anymore.
2026 has been marked as the offseason where LA would get aggressive building a contender around Doncic. With meaningful cap space and draft capital, they are going to be in the mix for a lot of players, even after re-signing Austin Reaves. However, their dream target may finally become available.Â
The Lakers are set to pursue Walker Kessler in free agency and they may finally land him
Over the years, Utah has rebuffed LA’s interest in their young big man, rejecting multiple trade proposals and insisting that they see Kessler as a key piece of their future.
It is hard to disagree with the Jazz on that. In his short time there, Kessler has already established himself as one of the premier shot blockers in the NBA. He is also a strong rebounder and great finisher around the rim.Â
His season was cut short last year due to a shoulder injury, but he is now fully healthy and while Utah does want him to return, the two are far apart in contract talks. Enter LA.
The Lakers have the cap space to sign Kessler to a massive offer sheet and his skillset would be the perfect fit next to Doncic. He is also only 24-years old, which puts him on the same timeline as Doncic and Reaves. He would fortify their center spot and allow LA to pursue other needs, like shooting and more wing depth.
If the Lakers sign Kessler to a big enough offer sheet, that could force the Jazz to let him go. It would be a huge loss for Utah, who is expected to compete in the West next year, and a huge win for LA.
Kessler has gone from an unrealistic target to very much realistic in a matter of weeks for the Lakers. With free agent negotiations set to open on Tuesday, we could see a resolution very soon between the two sides, which would make for an interesting start to the offseason.
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