As more time has passed, it's become more and more clear that Walker Kessler's departure from the Utah Jazz was inevitable. He had no qualms potentially screwing over the Jazz by taking the qualifying offer, to which the Jazz brilliantly flipped what could have been a complete disaster into a triumph by turning him into most of the Lakers' draft capital.
Now, even more details have emerged. On "The Hoop Collective," Brian Windhorst brought up that the Lakers had tried to bring in Kessler multiple times, and it was at Luka's behest that they ante'd up to pry Kessler from Utah.
“The Lakers tried to acquire Walker Kessler on several different occasions, and they weren't able to get him because they weren't willing to pay the price. And the Jazz asked, I think, for more now than they had ever asked for before, and the Lakers said yes. And I think the reason is because they knew how badly Luka wanted him.”
The Lakers' interest in Kessler dates back to 2024, and shortly after the deal was done, it came out that Luka Doncic was the driving force to get Kessler to LA. Factor in the Lakers' desperation at center, and it's clear Utah struck gold when they made the deal.
However, the entire spectrum of this whole Kessler ordeal, knowing that this had been brewing for years, makes Utah look even more brilliant when you think about it.
Kessler on the Lakers still breeds questions
Kessler could be an excellent addition for LA, but even after acquiring him, it's not like they're title contenders. In fact, are we even sure the Lakers are better than the Jazz right now? There's a case, but it's not a certainty that they will be.
And let's go back to when the Lakers tried to get Kessler two years ago. This was before they got their hands on Doncic. Utah was likely hesitant to send him there because putting Kessler on the Lakers not only filled a need for them at center like they did back in July, but he could have been the game-changing player they needed to pair next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis to vault them right back into contention.
The Lakers have far more questions now with Kessler than they would have back then. That's why the Jazz made it clear back then that getting him would have cost their future. LA didn't want to make that bet back then because of the limited window with James and Davis. Their window might be more open now, but the runway isn't as clear now.
Utah made the most out of a situation that could have been unwinnable for them. They didn't just help themselves. By biding their time until it was perfect, they hit the jackpot.
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