The Lakers, however, don’t have many of either of those. On the contract front, they only have Dalton Knecht, who is a good young prospect, but is not as valuable to the Jazz as Kessler is. The Lakers also only have one tradable first round pick to put into a deal, making it harder to throw in the type draft capital to sweeten the offer.

Just days from now, NBA teams will start signing free agents and making trades in preparation for the 2025-26 season. The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be active, if not successful, on both the trade and free agent markets as they look to plug the holes on the roster.

Talks between the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz on center Walker Kessler have not reached the serious stages.