Walker Kessler has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers for years, but the Utah Jazz had never been all too keen to part with their young center. That stance appears to have changed this offseason, and Lakers insider Dave McMenamin reported on The Drive With Spence Checkers that the team still has an interest in the big man.
“Walker Kessler remains a name that the Lakers are intrigued by,” McMenamin said. “Whether that would lead to any sort of deal? Obviously, last year, the asking price was too steep and, obviously the Lakers ended up pivoting those assets that they were considering moving to the Jazz to get Kessler in order to do the Luka trade.
“That came off the table after the Luka trade,” McMenamin continued. “But if they do revisit it, that remains a player that the Lakers feel could fit the void that they have at center. Again, I’m not reporting anything’s moving towards or picking up steam or anything like that, but Kessler remains on the Lakers radar.”
Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game for the Jazz in 2024-25. The 23-year-old would be a great addition to the Lakers and would solve their biggest problem from this past season, which was the center spot.
Host Spence Checkers followed up by asking McMenamin what kind of package the Lakers could put on the table for Kessler.
“They do have a 2031 first-round draft pick they could trade and then Dalton Knecht, who had a really good first half of the season and then not so great second [half],” McMenamin stated. “Looked more like a rookie in the second half of the season and really wasn’t trusted by JJ Redick in the high-leverage moments in the playoffs.
“However, he’s a guy who can put up numbers,” McMenamin added. “… There’s no delicate way to say this, could become a fan favorite in Utah as a high-scoring white guy. There could be some sort of package to be had around that.”
It was a rollercoaster of a rookie season for Dalton Knecht after the Lakers selected him with the 17th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. He started off fairly well, averaging 12.2 points in his first 19 games while shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc.
Knecht then hit the rookie wall in December 2024, averaging 6.8 points on 15.6% shooting from beyond the arc in the month. He would see his playing time reduce steadily from then on.
Knecht did actually manage to rediscover his shooting touch at the end of the regular season, shooting 42.0% from three in March and 45.5% in April. As McMenamin stated, though, head coach JJ Redick had lost trust in him by that point.
In the Lakers’ first-round series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Knecht featured in just two of the five games and played under four minutes combined. The 24-year-old’s trade value isn’t sky-high at the moment, but he did show enough as a rookie to make you believe he can be a very good role player in the NBA.
Would a deal centered around Knecht and the 2031 first-round pick be enough for Kessler? It seems unlikely. McMenamin added that the Lakers would be willing to part with the likes of Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt as well, but you’d think there would be teams around the league that can offer a better package for Kessler.
