![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/GettyImages-2184046066-e1733933202803.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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The Los Angeles Lakers\u2018 search for a center to help Anthony Davis in their frontcourt hit a snag as Utah Jazz\u2018s Walker Kessler, one of their top trade targets, is unavailable, per Los Angeles Times\u2019 Dan Woike.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile teams have expressed interest in Utah center Walker Kessler \u2014 the Lakers included \u2014 the belief in NBA circles is that he\u2019s not available in any realistic trade scenarios, Utah electing to keep one of the NBA\u2019s top rim protectors through the deadline,\u201d Woike reported on January 5.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old Kessler offers elite rim protection.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Dream Twin Tower<\/strong><\/p>\n Lakers coach JJ Redick openly said in the summer that he wanted a bruising center to play next to Davis.<\/p>\n \u201cYou certainly have to look at what I think is actually a very good roster, a very balanced roster,\u201d Redick said in an interview with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson on Sirius XM NBA Radio in July. \u201cWe\u2019d love to, we tried, but we\u2019d love to, at some point, get another five man, a big bruising five man.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the Western Conference right now, whether it\u2019s Denver, Minnesota, OKC with what they added, certainly Memphis, they\u2019re going to be back in the hunt, they added Zach Edey, certain matchups in the playoffs, you\u2019re going to need a lot of size.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n A Davis-Kessler twin tower could be devastating to the Lakers\u2019 opponents for years to come. However, that remains a pipe dream for the Lakers.<\/p>\n Lakers Expected to Offer Gabe Vincent & Picks For Wizards Center<\/strong><\/p>\n With Kessler unavailable, the Lakers still have other options, such as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas.<\/p>\n According to HoopsHype\u2019s Michael Scotto, the Lakers are expected to offer backup guard Gabe Vincent, who is currently injured.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving acquired the wing defender they sought in Finney-Smith, the next item for the Lakers on their list is a backup center,\u201d Scotto reported. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Valan\u010di\u016bnas kept it coy amid the reported Lakers\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have social media,\u201d Valan\u010di\u016bnas told reporters after the Wizards\u2019 126-106 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday, December 30. \u201cThat\u2019s all.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Lakers showed more interest in him in the offseason, so much that he was on James\u2019 shortlist of then-free agents he was willing to take a paycut for.<\/p>\n But Valan\u010di\u016bnas 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Los Angeles Lakers\u2018 search for a center to help Anthony Davis in their frontcourt hit a snag as Utah Jazz\u2018s Walker Kessler, one of their top… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23567,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n