The Luka Doncic trade to LA has the entire NBA world buzzing, and now seemingly untouchable players are being considered for trade. The Utah Jazz have a decision to make with Walker Kessler now that the Lakers are desperate for a center and will be more aggressive to capitalize with the trade window closing.
Consider a blockbuster trade the Lakers could offer for Kessler. This would remove veterans from the Jazz's payroll, help them get younger, and continue to look to the future. Note that this is the best the Lakers can offer.
Lakers Receive: Walker Kessler, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson
Jazz Receive: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, remove protection from the Lakers 2027 first-round pick, unprotected first-round pick swap in 2028, an unprotected first-rounder in 2031, and the Lakers' 2025 2nd-round pick.
It's a little complicated due to the Stepien rule, which essentially means that an NBA team cannot trade consecutive first-round draft picks prior to the NBA draft. The Lakers 2025, 2027, and 2029 picks have all been traded away.
The Jazz want a haul for Kessler, but cannot get it from the Lakers due to this rule, so this would be the next best option.
Why the Lakers would do it
The Lakers are now desperate for size, and Kessler and Collins both address that issue. With Doncic being acquired and LeBron potentially in extension talks, the Lakers would want to lock up Kessler on what could be a relatively cheap contract extension, and John Collins could slot right into a starting forward position.
Jordan Clarkson also could be a nice complement to LeBron and Luka in the frontcourt, and while Reaves is a better player, the Lakers probably value frontcourt depth enough to take that downgrade.
This trade would also help the Lakers shift even further into a win-now mode by upgrading their frontcourt immediately with Collins over Hachimura and Kessler over, um, Jaxson Hayes?
Why the Jazz would do it
The Jazz are looking for draft picks at the deadline, and while this doesn't give them much more draft capital, it gets them a former first-round draft pick in Dalton Knecht and a young breakout star in Austin Reaves that the Jazz could build their young team around. Plus, there is no guarantee that the Luka-LeBron marriage will work - Doncic's contract is up in 2026! - so ensuring the Lakers' picks convey could be helpful in the long term.
The likelihood of that being a reality is pretty slim, but the Jazz in this trade would be trying to make up the loss in quality of the Lakers' 2027 first round pick they own. At the time of the trade, the quality of that trade was pretty high, with LeBron and Anthony Davis reaching the twilight or end of their careers.
That pick should have been very valuable. However, since Doncic was acquired, its value has likely decreased tremendously. In that context, the Jazz can attack the Lakers' draft picks for quantity instead of quality because quality is now out the window.
But would the Jazz really do this trade?
The answer is probably not. Because of how limited the Lakers are in what they can offer, it's hard to see the Jazz accepting this unless there is literally no better offer. And even then, they probably think they're better off keeping Kessler.
Of course, maybe they would be enticed if another option were to be introduced. The Rockets and the Thunder are in a unique situation, being atop the Western Conference standings while also owning many future draft picks.
If the Lakers and the Jazz wanted to rope in a new trade partner, either Houston or Oklahoma City may be interested in a Collin Sexton or Jordan Clarkson to add to their team, and either could send the Jazz the first-round picks they are looking for. At the same time, it's hard to see those two agree to trades that would ultimately help the Lakers.
But on that note, if this trade deadline has taught us anything, it's that truly anything can happen, so don't rule out the Jazz doing something a little crazy to get the picks Danny Ainge is hunting for. This all may sound outlandish, but so did the Luka trade.