Until Walker Kessler confirms he is back with the Utah Jazz, and who knows when that will be, there will always be rumors about who his next team could be if it's not the Jazz. Don't be surprised if the Los Angeles Lakers pop up as a possible suitor.
They've previously shown interest in Kessler, could definitely use more frontcourt help, and have a good amount of available cap space. Although it would be complicated for them because Austin Reaves' free agency will be priority number one. In fact, that's why the possibility of a Reaves-for-Kessler swap has come up and probably will come up again and again over the next few months.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus floated the idea when discussing Reaves options, noting that "different teams believe the Utah Jazz have interest in Reaves."
Take that for what it's worth on its own, but Pincus also added how Reaves would fit on the Jazz while bringing up that it would take Kessler to get him.
"Along with what should be a high pick in the draft, the Jazz would have a high-potential roster with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Reaves. That assumes the Lakers value a center like Walker Kessler, who also went out by sign-and-trade despite an early-season-ending shoulder injury.
"The mechanics of such a deal would be complicated, though not impossible."
So it's doable, but that doesn't mean it should be done.
The more time has gone on, the less sense Reaves has made for Utah
Reaves was an intriguing option before Utah got their hands on Jaren Jackson Jr. Once the trade happened, it made the prospect of a Reaves pursuit harder to fathom because their cap space took a hit from it.
As Pincus explained, it's only possible in a double sign-and-trade, but Kessler is now more important to Utah than ever. Even with JJJ, the Jazz will need rebounding, so if they let Kessler go, that will become a glaring problem that can't be adequately replaced because he's one of the league's best.
Lauri Markkanen is an average rebounder, while Jackson is a poor one. On paper, Kessler covers that issue by himself (plus a theoretically re-signed Jusuf Nurkic will help there too). That's not worth giving up for Reaves, regardless of how impressive he is.
Especially because adding Reaves would be overkill for the Jazz's offense. They already have plenty of guys who can go off for 20-plus on any given night, like JJJ, Markkanen, and Keyonte George. And since their mid-season blockbuster, Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh have started coming into their own. Nothing is concrete until we see the product on the floor, but he would seem superfluous with how much offensive potency Utah already has.
There's nothing wrong with making a robust muscle even stronger, but not when it comes at the cost of weakening other muscles. Reaves would help just about any team that needs scoring, but the Jazz aren't one of those teams.
Lastly, would Utah really want to help a team they plan to compete against next season? Kessler fits the Lakers' needs to a tee, though he would hypothetically make them lose their second-best scorer in a deal like this, but it's the Lakers. They have a tendency to have things miraculously work out for them, so it'd be fair to assume a Reaves replacement would be right around the corner on top of Kessler's addition.
The Jazz would be willing to make an opponent better as long as it puts themselves in an even better place. Reaves has the right amount of talent to be a difference-maker, which he's already proven, but that would still make him the wrong guy for Utah.
If Utah could add Reaves with no strings attached, of course, they should do it. But at the expense of Kessler? It'd be hard to see how the Jazz would justify a trade that would clearly be one step forward, but two steps back at best.