Rui Hachimura Named in Lakers Trade Report on Thursday

"Sources close to the Los Angeles Lakers say that internally, they have long been fans of John Collins, who has the ability to stretch the floor both as a deep threat or someone who can finish well above the rim," he reported on Thursday.

"Many within the Lakers organization believe Collins would be an especially great fit alongside Luka Doncic," he continued. "Since their season ended, they've held a few conversations with the Utah Jazz to try to land the 27-year-old big man, with Rui Hachimura often the centerpiece of the deal."

The 6-foot-9-inch Collins is a power forward like the 6-foot-8-inch Hachimura, so he wouldn't solve Los Angeles's center issue. However, Collins averaged 19 points on 52.7 percent shooting (39.9 percent) with 8.2 rebounds over 30.5 minutes this past season.

The Lakers also like Utah's seven-foot center Walker Kessler, via Irwin.

"The Lakers have also remained interested in Walker Kessler and will likely remain as such until the end of time, so another possibility some around the league are wondering about is if a bigger deal involving Collins and Kessler could be in the works," he continued. "Issue there is the Lakers' lack of draft capital, as sources have indicated the price for Kessler is still quite high."

The 24-year-old Kessler averaged 11.1 points on 66.3 percent shooting with 12.2 rebounds over 30 minutes this past season.