Lakers reportedly remain interested in Walker Kessler

Even after a hot start, the Lakers are keeping their eye on potential upgrades including Jazz big man Walker Kessler.

The Lakers could hardly have asked for a better start to the season. While they haven’t been flawless along the way, the purple and gold are 3-0 and the vibes are terrific.

That being said, while trade rumors may no longer be top of the mind now that the team is actually winning games, they certainly still exist. And the Lakers do still have tradeable contracts.

Even if the team is good this season and not fighting for a play-in spot, a trade taking them from good to great — instead of one taking them from mediocre to good — is still a very appealing one. And one of the names that could be at the top of that list is Walker Kessler.

It isn’t new that the Lakers are linked to Kessler. There have been rumors linking the two, though nothing too concrete. However, if the team is looking to make the jump to a legitimate contender, a player like Kessler could be the catalyst for that.

On a recent live stream on his YouTube channel, Jovan Buha of The Athletic noted that Kessler remains on the Lakers’ list.

“I think we need more time to see which guys become available. I think Walker Kessler is a name that the Lakers have been interested in that would make a lot of sense and would allow you to either start a two-big look or, probably more realistically, bring him off the bench and then play two-big shifts and then, in certain matchups, close with two bigs. Jerami Grant, Bruce Brown, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, the guys they’ve kind of gone after or been interested in in the past.”

Kessler checks a number of boxes, as Buha mentioned. He’s a defensive-first big man who could play alongside Anthony Davis and allow the team to play more two-big looks.

While Jaxson Hayes has impressed in his role to start the season, Kessler is a notable step up in talent. In his first season, he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and averaged 2.3 blocks per game across his first two seasons.

He’s also on a rookie contract that will see him making just $2.9 million this year and $4.8 million next season before becoming a restricted free agent. If the Lakers make a trade this season, they could negotiate an extension with him next season. His low contract also makes it easy for the Lakers to match salaries.

Now, having said all that, the Jazz are very aware of all of this, too. All of the things that make Kessler attractive to the Lakers make him attractive to every team in the NBA.

Over the offseason, the price was high for teams inquiring about Kessler. According to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, the asking price for Kessler was two first-round picks. And that’s not a first round pick and Jalen Hood-Schifino, who so many of you are down on. That’s two real first round picks.

The Lakers have the ability to make that type of trade, but it would likely be the last big move the team could make in the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era. Is it a big enough move to put nearly all their remaining chips on the table?

That could be the debate that will go on for the next handful of months.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.