The LA Lakers crashed out in the first round of the playoffs after losing 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After the loss, Rob Pelinka confirmed the team’s priority in the offseason would be to bring in a center.
Since then, the LA Lakers have been linked to a lot of bigs around the league.
Steven Adams from the Houston Rockets was a name that the Lakers were looking at, but the veteran signed a three-year deal with the team, ruling out the possibility of bringing him to LA.
Among the other names, Walker Kessler has also gained a lot of momentum and this is due to his age and abilities at the position.
The Lakers lacked a big that could protect the rim in the playoffs, which made life easy for the Timberwolves as they exploited the weakness and easily won games.
Rudy Gobert had a monstrous 27-point game, where he also grabbed 24 boards to closeout the Lakers in the series.
JJ Reddick made interesting comments about Jaxson Hayes after the series, and it became clear the team was in need of a rim protector in order to be able to compete.
In Walker Kessler, the Lakers would get a talented big who has never averaged below 2 blocks per game in his time with the Jazz.
He has been in the league for three years and in that time, Kessler has finished second in blocks per game twice behind Victor Wembanyama.
With Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the roster, the team’s offense is flowing well, but the defensive side needs a lot of work.
Rim protection has been a problem area for the Lakers, and getting Kessler would change that for them, as he has the size advantage and also is not scared to challenge anyone who attempts to get to the rim.
While defensively Kessler can block shots and rebound well, he has also shown his ability to be an offensive weapon during his time with the Jazz.
He averaged 11 points last season, but shot 66% from the field, which shows his efficiency.
Most of his scoring comes from around the rim, but in the 2024-25 season, Kessler started to shoot more threes.
Although he did not have a great deal of success doing that, it is a good sign that the 23-year-old is willing to work on that part of his game.
Doncic’s game has always excelled alongside a quality big and Kessler would also enjoy a lot from playing with the Slovenian.
Kessler is extension-eligible, and the Jazz would offer him a good contract because he has been a valuable player for them.
But it is up to him to decide if he wants to continue being part of a rebuilding team or go to a big-market team like the Lakers and compete for a championship.
The Jazz’s asking price for Kessler might not be easy for the Lakers to attain, but considering their need for a center, the Purple and Gold might try to look for a solution.
With one of their options in Adams already gone, the Lakers will now be anxious and try to find a player soon to fill the void they have in that center position.
