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Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles past Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Insider Gives Update on Lakers' Chances at Walker Kessler Trade

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 12:30 PM ET

Across what's seemingly been the past year, the Utah Jazz have continuously been linked to trade rumors involving the Los Angeles Lakers and their strong interest in Walker Kessler.

Yet, as we continue to get deeper into this offseason, the likelihood of a Kessler trade, especially to the Lakers, still seems to be largely up in the air. And as one notable insider notes, the asking price the Jazz front office may be coveting for their 24-year-old center might just be too high for Los Angeles to meet.

According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, during a recent free agency live stream, he noted the Jazz's reported asking price from the Lakers for Kessler starts at two picks and a young player, something Los Angeles has been unable to match.

"I’ve just heard nothing but they want two picks plus a young player for Walker Kessler," Buha said. "So the Lakers cannot do that trade. They can give one pick and one young player and a swap. You could throw in a couple swaps. I probably would try to hold off on the later swaps, but I would maybe throw in three swaps, or take away the protections on the top four pick in 2027, but I just don’t know if that’s going to be enough for Utah."

On paper, the fit of Kessler in Los Angeles makes a ton of sense, and it's easy to see why Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' front office have continuously been linked with interest to try and land him.

As the Lakers have been desperately searching for a center of the future following the Anthony Davis deal, the Jazz big man has certainly been near the top of LA's list of potential acquisitions at the five as someone that could be a high-end defensive anchor in the middle, and be a great pairing with the likes of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

But, when it comes to hashing out those negotiations with a Jazz team that wants to sign and extend Kessler to a new deal this summer, while also keeping him in the building as their own center of the future, any trade to ship him out has to be something Utah simply can't turn down.

And as of now, the Lakers haven't offered that aspired return for Utah.

During Kessler's last season in Utah, it was a major statement that silenced most of the trade chatter and any potential interest from the Jazz's side to trade him any time soon. He averaged a career-high in points (11.1) and rebounds (12.2), while also posting 2.4 blocks a night on 66.3% shooting from the field.

But even with such a season in the rear-view mirror, it might not be stopping other teams like the Lakers from knocking on the door to try and pry him away from Utah.

If the Jazz can have their way, they'd like to keep Kessler signed on for the foreseeable future, and have seemingly valued him in such a way through any trade discussions around the league to this point, making it nearly impossible for an interested team to get their hands on the young defensive anchor.

In all likelihood, expect the Jazz and Kessler to find their way to a multi-year contract extension at some point this summer, as Utah tries to cement him as a core piece in their frontcourt for years to come. But, throughout an unpredictable NBA offseason, there's still an outside shot for another team, whether it be the Lakers or elsewhere, to pay that premium that forces the Jazz brass to pull a tough trigger.

Stay tuned.