Lakers should not back down from pursuit of dream center trade this offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are at risk of replicating a strategy similar to that one person who refuses to leave your direct messages until you ultimately block them. In those cases, one would encourage that person to give up. In Rob Pelinka's case, the Lakers front office executive should stay diligent.

Shams Charania reported back in January that Los Angeles continued to pester the Utah Jazz about the availability of Walker Kessler.

"Every time they call on Walker Kessler in Utah, that asking price is really high. So that front office is trying to make calls, doing due diligence, but at the end of the day, it takes two teams to tango, and they have not been able to find deals," Charania told First Take viewers.

In a period where the Lakers are being linked to centers in every direction, it is important to not lose sight of the pecking order. There is no doubt that Kessler remains as close to the top of that list as anyone.

Kessler fills too many needs to be ignored by the Lakers

Before the 2025 NBA trade deadline, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report offered insight as to the price of a potential Kessler trade with the Jazz. It was a steep one.

Pincus wrote, "League sources believe the asking price for ... Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz is Dalton Knecht and the Lakers' 2029 and 2031 first-round picks."

What should be obvious to anyone reading is that piece of intel was from before the blockbuster trade that landed Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. The Lakers then pivoted to acquiring Mark Williams for a lower price than the one suggested by Pincus for Kessler.

The latter move obviously backfired. The Lakers pulled out of the trade due to overwhelming concerns about Williams' long-term health.

Pelinka now finds himself in a spot where the center position is by far and away the most obvious hole to fill on the roster. Similarly, Kessler remains the most obvious way to patch up the primary needs of that position.

The Jazz center is exactly the type of defensive anchor that would allow the Lakers' perimeter defenders some room for mistakes. Kessler registered 2.4 blocks per game in 2024-25, cleaning up a lot of the messes left in front of him.

Kessler can also alleviate the rebounding load that was thrown onto the Lakers superstars ahead of the postseason. The young center has averaged at least 11.6 rebounds per game in each of his first three seasons when adjusting his averages to per-36.

Kessler was also, in particular, a force on the offensive glass this past season. The three-year pro posted a whopping 4.6 offensive rebounds per game.

Play finishing has always been a strength for the big man as well. The lowest Kessler has shot in a season is 65.4 percent from the field. That would give Doncic a very reliable outlet at the center spot.

It's no secret why the Jazz have not been eager to ship Kessler out of town. The 2022 first-round selection is a tremendous player. However, if the Lakers are willing to make the necessary sacrifices, the 23-year-old could be a key piece of the championship puzzle in Los Angeles.