With the NBA trade deadline less than a week away, a lot of eyes are on the Los Angeles Lakers, especially after already making one blockbuster deal.
The Lakers shocked the world when they acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a deal that sent out Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
Not only did they bring in a franchise cornerstone in Doncic, but Rob Pelinka was able to convince Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to take a lighter package for the superstar so L.A. still has assets to make other moves.
A center is obviously a huge need for the Lakers ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline after dealing Davis and they’ve been heavily linked to Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler.
Kessler is a popular name in the trade market because he’s young, productive and still on his rookie deal meaning that it wouldn’t be difficult to match salaries in a deal. However, Utah’s asking price for Kessler is really high which is likely why Los Angeles has been unable to pry him away.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, this is what the Jazz would be looking for to deal Kessler:
League sources believe the asking price for a cheaper alternative like Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz is Dalton Knecht and the Lakers’ 2029 and 2031 first-round picks.
Kessler would solve several immediate needs for Los Angeles and could be a strong building block next to Doncic after LeBron James retires, so it’ll be interesting to see if the purple and gold push all their chips in on the rising center.
They obviously can no longer trade their 2029 first-round after sending it to Dallas, so the Lakers would need to convince Utah that Knecht, their 2031 first-round and lifting the protections on their 2027 pick they already owe them is enough. It’s unlikely that will be cool with Danny Ainge, so the Lakers may need to look elsewhere for a center to replace Davis.
LeBron James not asking Lakers for trade before deadline
The other question for the Lakers leading up to the deadline is if LeBron James will request to be dealt after they caught him off guard with the trade for Luka Doncic. The 40-year-old is in the twilight of his career and has a full no-trade clause to be able to navigate himself to his next destination if he wants.
It appears that James is excited about the possibility of playing with Luka Doncic though as reports have indicated that he plans to stay with the team and will not be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
