Following the report that Walker Kessler would be put in trade talks this offseason, plenty of speculation has reignited that the Los Angeles Lakers could chase him as they have in the past. However, someone on the inside made it very clear that the Lakers don't have the assets, confirming what Jazz fans know: Kessler isn't going anywhere unless Utah gets a King's ransom for him.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha left nothing to interpretation when commenting on the possibility of the Lakers getting Kessler.
“I just don’t know if the Lakers have the requisite assets to get Walker Kessler, but I think he’s likely available for the right price,” he said on his podcast. “I just think that price is very high, and I don’t know if the Lakers can get to it.”
For obvious reasons, the Lakers wouldn't dangle LeBron James or Luka Doncic in a trade for Kessler. The best player they could offer is Austin Reaves, who's a good player, but it wouldn't make sense for Utah to go after him.
They don't need another guard, and they certainly don't need another veteran on the team for someone like Kessler. More than that, though, even though Kessler could be had, the Jazz aren't giving him up for something unless they know for a fact that doing so would improve their situation.
No one on the Lakers besides James and Doncic would do that.
More factors could be at play between the Jazz and Lakers
Besides the fact that the Jazz would only trade Kessler if they were selling very high on him, they'd be even more apprehensive about trading with the Lakers even if they could somehow match their price for Kessler. This is for two reasons.
1. The Jazz own the Lakers pick in 2027
Utah already did the Lakers a favor when they agreed to take Russell Westbrook off their hands. They got the Lakers' 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected) for their troubles. For that reason, it seems hard to believe they would take their chances hurting the value of that pick.
While the Lakers could send over more picks for Kessler, teams want quality over quantity when acquiring draft capital. The Jazz would believe they're better off getting one golden pick instead of multiple meh picks at best.
2. There might be sour grapes from the Luka Doncic trade
Despite the fact that the Luka Doncic trade is still very relevant in the news even four months later, what has been forgotten is that the Jazz were technically involved in the deal. They were the third team that helped complete the trade.
Though some will say that was the Jazz's choice to make, it came out shortly afterward that they didn't fully know what they were getting themselves into until it was too late. There's a case to be made that the Lakers tricked them, as they didn't know what they were participating in and thought they were getting a second-round pick for their troubles.
It wouldn't be too shocking if the Jazz and Lakers don't agree to a deal with each other for some times. Whether it's Walker Kessler or Micah Potter, Utah simply may not want to help them.