The Los Angeles Lakers‘ search for a center to help Anthony Davis in their frontcourt hit a snag as Utah Jazz‘s Walker Kessler, one of their top trade targets, is unavailable, per Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike.
“While teams have expressed interest in Utah center Walker Kessler — the Lakers included — the belief in NBA circles is that he’s not available in any realistic trade scenarios, Utah electing to keep one of the NBA’s top rim protectors through the deadline,” Woike reported on January 5.
The 23-year-old Kessler offers elite rim protection.
This season, the 7-foot Jazz center is averaging a career-high 10.4 points on 71.2% field goal shooting, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 assists.
Imagine the better looks Kessler could get with Davis and LeBron James and the defensive presence he could provide for the Lakers at the rim, which will allow Davis to roam as a weakside defender.
Dream Twin Tower
Lakers coach JJ Redick openly said in the summer that he wanted a bruising center to play next to Davis.
“You certainly have to look at what I think is actually a very good roster, a very balanced roster,” Redick said in an interview with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson on Sirius XM NBA Radio in July. “We’d love to, we tried, but we’d love to, at some point, get another five man, a big bruising five man.
“You look at the Western Conference right now, whether it’s Denver, Minnesota, OKC with what they added, certainly Memphis, they’re going to be back in the hunt, they added Zach Edey, certain matchups in the playoffs, you’re going to need a lot of size.”
While Kessler is not the prototypical bruising big man, he has blossomed into a double-double machine and one of the best shot-blocking big men in the NBA today.
A Davis-Kessler twin tower could be devastating to the Lakers’ opponents for years to come. However, that remains a pipe dream for the Lakers.
Lakers Expected to Offer Gabe Vincent & Picks For Wizards Center
With Kessler unavailable, the Lakers still have other options, such as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valančiūnas.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Lakers are expected to offer backup guard Gabe Vincent, who is currently injured.
“Having acquired the wing defender they sought in Finney-Smith, the next item for the Lakers on their list is a backup center,” Scotto reported. “The Lakers will continue to try and acquire Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas or another backup center on the trade market with their remaining future second-round draft capital, and Gabe Vincent is expected to be dangled in talks as well, league sources told HoopsHype.”
Valančiūnas kept it coy amid the reported Lakers’ interest.
“I don’t have social media,” Valančiūnas told reporters after the Wizards’ 126-106 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday, December 30. “That’s all.”
The Lakers showed more interest in him in the offseason, so much that he was on James’ shortlist of then-free agents he was willing to take a paycut for.
But Valančiūnas opted for the sure thing instead of waiting for the Lakers, agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Wizards for a three-year, $30.2 million deal.
