One of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ top priorities this offseason was the pursuit of a starting big man to balance out their roster. Among the several targets the team was connected to before the signing of Deandre Ayton, Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler generated a considerable amount of traction.
Although Los Angeles came up short in its pursuit of the Jazz center this offseason, recent updates by The Athletic’s Tony Jones suggest that the Lakers could have an opportunity to sign him next summer.
Jones reported that Utah isn’t expected to offer Kessler a rookie-scale extension this summer, which would make him a restricted free agent in the 2026 offseason. He highlighted the reasoning behind the Jazz’s decision when he wrote:
“The answer is simple: Money. And the NBA is a business. The Jazz see themselves as trying to end their time near the bottom of the NBA barrel as soon as next summer. By not signing Kessler now, he would have a cap hold of $14.9 million next summer, which would give the Jazz enough space to keep Kessler’s hold, and still do work in free agency.”
“Then, theoretically, the Jazz and Kessler can come to an agreement. Because Utah holds Kessler’s bird rights, the Jazz would be able to exceed the cap by signing him. If Utah extends Kessler now, his cap hold would be whatever that contract dictates, which could make the franchise less flexible from a money standpoint.”
Jones’ point aligns with the Jazz’s roster management practices this summer. Utah created cap space for next summer by trading away players such as Collin Sexton and John Collins for draft capital and expiring contracts.
While this paints a promising picture for Utah, who are expected to have enough room to negotiate an extension with Kessler, Los Angeles is also projected to be a team with enough cap space to offer an enticing deal for him.
Kessler was linked to the Lakers in trade rumors earlier this summer, with the Jazz also showing an inclination to engage in negotiations. Unfortunately, this deal fell through after Utah signaled its intent to retain the big man.
The 2026 offseason will be interesting for the Lakers. Given the current roster makeup, after finalizing an extension for Luka Doncic, L.A. will only have five active players on its roster, not including players such as Austin Reaves, who have player options for the 2026-27 season. While some may opt in, Reaves is likely to decline his $14.9 million option, freeing up more cap space.
With several expiring contracts on their current payroll, the Purple and Gold are expected to see approximately $111.5 million coming off the books next season. With significant cap space available, the Lakers could realistically present the Jazz with a sizable offer to sign Kessler.
The Jazz big man has shown the potential to be one of the best defensive big men in the league.
At 24, Kessler has tremendous upside as an inside presence and a lob threat. Last season, he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game on 66.3% shooting from the field.
Due to his status as a restricted free agent, the Lakers may have some trouble signing him. Since Utah will also have the cap space to match an offer sheet presented by Los Angeles, the Lakers must be tactical in how they approach making an offer for the 24-year-old center.
The decision to sign Kessler next summer would also be dependent on the Lakers’ roster construction approach this season. With reports indicating that the team is willing to sacrifice cap space next summer to compete for a title now, the Lakers’ payroll for the 2026 offseason could be subject to some changes.
