It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers want to upgrade their roster, though new coach JJ Redick has seemingly maximized their existing talent to go on a 3-1 start this season.
However, in recent years, the Lakers have always pulled the trigger when a trade made itself available, and rumors have persistently linked them to the Utah Jazz, particularly their defensive big man Walker Kessler.
Still, no trade might happen between the two teams anytime soon, according to NBA insider/analyst Ric Bucher.
“Unless Danny Ainge has left the Jazz organization, I can assure you he’s not doing a deal with the Lakers, much less one that helps them,” Bucher posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Lakers-Jazz trade rumors
Bucher’s post responded to another post reporting that the Lakers were favorites to acquire Walker Kessler from the Jazz.
Perhaps this reluctance to trade with LA stems from the classic Lakers-Celtics rivalry, since GM Danny Ainge was a key part of Larry Bird’s Celtics teams in the 1980s.
However, Ainge did trade for Russell Westbrook in 2023, a massive deal that sent Mike Conley to the Timberwolves, and D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Lakers, in return for Russ and a 2027 first-round pick from Los Angeles.
Still, the kicker in that deal might be that it was a three-team deal, and Ainge never dealt with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka alone. Likewise, Ainge likes hoarding first-round picks, and the Lakers had something to offer him.
Bucher is also right that Walker Kessler would be a massive get for the Lakers, who remain interested in the defensive big man. His abilities would certainly make life easier for Anthony Davis, allowing him to rest on the bench for longer and then roam the perimeter to hound the ball.
“I think Walker Kessler is a name that the Lakers have been interested in that would make a lot of sense and would allow you to either start a two-big look or, probably more realistically, bring him off the bench and then play two-big shifts and then, in certain matchups, close with two bigs,” Lakers reporter Jovan Buha said, via Jacob Rude of Lakers Nation.
Will it happen?
But perhaps the biggest obstacle to Kessler landing in LA isn’t a decades-old rivalry, but Ainge’s steep asking price.
Reports have indicated that Utah wanted two first-round picks in the offseason, which the Lakers have been reticent to trade, irking fans desperate for Pelinka to upgrade the roster.
As of Tuesday, the Jazz have tied with the Pistons as the only two winless teams left in the NBA, perhaps looking ahead to land the projected No.1 pick Cooper Flagg in next year’s draft.
Still, who knows if their win-loss record pushes Danny Ainge to pull the trigger?
