Utah Jazz Mailbag: What Could Lakers Trade For Walker Kessler?
Jan 27, 2025, 3:17 PM
Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz dunks over Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag where this week we look at what the Los Angeles Lakers could offer in a hypothetical Walker Kessler trade.
Each week we will send out a prompt on X and BlueSky asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.
Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s mailbag.
Mailbag: What Could Lakers Trade To Jazz For Walker Kessler?
Lakers repeatedly asking for Walker but the price is too high.
What’s the Jazz asking price for Walker right now. Assuming they don’t trade him unless they’re blown away, what’s the deal that blows them away?— teefers (@craig_whaleson) January 27, 2025
Question: What’s the Jazz’s asking price for Walker Kessler right now? Assuming they don’t trade him unless they’re blown away, what’s the deal that blows them away?
Answer: While I’m not certain of what specific offers the Lakers have made, nor what the Jazz have offered, I think we can cobble together some sense of what the Jazz might be looking for in a potential trade for Kessler.
First, I will tell you that I know for certain that the Lakers are far from the only team that has inquired about Kessler, and I’ve heard the Jazz have rebuffed as many as 20 teams who have made phone calls to check on his availability.
If the number I’ve heard was not hyperbole, it’s a sign the Jazz have a steep asking price for the young center.
Now, let’s go back and look at what has been reported about the Jazz, their needs, and their asking price on the trade market.
yeah, you’re gonna want to watch this 😳#TakeNote | @MarkkanenLauri pic.twitter.com/FUlXmh5aYN
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 26, 2025
In December, Jake Fischer of the Stein Line reported that the Jazz were turning down offers that included two first-round draft picks for Kessler.
That means the Jazz wanted better draft picks, more draft picks, or young players, and potentially all three in any deal for the 23-year-old center.
Could the Lakers put together a trade package that would meet the Jazz’s reported demands for Kessler?
One issue that makes trading Kessler so difficult is his shockingly small salary.
Despite leading the NBA in field goal percentage and offensive rebounds, and ranking second in blocks per game, the third-year big man earns just $2.9 million per season.
✨no✨#TakeNote | @WalkerKessler13 pic.twitter.com/oPmRtkdlMf
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 26, 2025
That means teams will have to send the Jazz either a player still on their rookie deal, a veteran on a minimum contract, or the trade will have to include multiple players to make the salaries work.
With the Jazz already owning the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected), LA can’t include either their 2026 or 2028 first-round picks in any trade.
So, if the Jazz were demanding at least two first-round picks from the Lakers for Kessler, the only picks they could send are in 2029 and 2031.
Then comes the question of which player would be coming back to Utah in the deal.
Jalen Hood-Schifino was a first-round selection in 2023 but has done little to prove he’s an NBA player.
Christian Wood’s $3 million salary would work but isn’t the type of young player the Jazz would want in return.
Neither Cam Reddish nor Jaxson Hayes meet the salary required in a one-for-one trade, leaving only Dalton Knecht as a viable trade option.
With Knecht carving out an All-Rookie quality campaign, it’s unlikely the Lakers would be willing to include him, along with two future first-round picks, likely leaving them short of the Jazz’s lofty asking price.
Related: Utah Jazz Draft Pick Asset Tracker
Unfortunately for the Lakers, expanding the deal to include more players likely does little to sweeten the pot for the Jazz.
With no urgency to unload salaries, and a lack of intriguing veterans on the Lakers roster, any Kessler trade involving multiple players would still likely have to revolve around Knecht, and the 2029 and 2031 first-round picks.
Ultimately, the Lakers don’t appear to have the right combination of pieces to include in a Kessler trade without overspending.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
