JJ Redick, Lakers
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts after his team is called for a foul.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason plans took a significant hit this week as fallout from a blockbuster trade reshaped the center market — and quietly removed one of their top targets from contention.
According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies sent Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks.
“The Jazz make a major swing for Jackson and team him with Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Walker Kessler and more,” Charania wrote on X. “The move signals a full rebuild for the Grizzlies around its promising young core and now as many future first-round picks as any team in the NBA.”
Utah’s Move Shuts Door on Walker Kessler Talks
walker kessler
GettyUtah Jazz center Walker Kessler.
For the Lakers, the most immediate consequence of the deal is clear: Walker Kessler is effectively off the table.
Utah’s acquisition of Jackson — a former Defensive Player of the Year — signals an intent to build an imposing long-term frontcourt around Jackson and Kessler, not break it apart. Any lingering hopes that Kessler could be pried away via trade or restricted free agency have now dimmed considerably.
ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel confirmed that Utah has no intention of moving Kessler.
“The Jazz will NOT be trading Walker Kessler,” Siegel reported, citing sources. “All indications point to Kessler, who will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, receiving a new long-term deal from Utah.”
Lakers’ Longstanding Interest in Kessler
The news is particularly damaging for Los Angeles, which has pursued Kessler for multiple seasons as it searches for a long-term defensive anchor in the middle.
According to ESPN cap analyst Bobby Marks, the Lakers are projected to have as much as $50 million in cap space this offseason, positioning them as an aggressive buyer. Kessler has long been viewed internally as an ideal fit.
Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha previously reported that Kessler was part of Luka Dončić’s original wish list of centers, alongside Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu.
That interest was there even before they acquired Dončić.
“They’ve tried to get Walker Kessler many times,” Charania said on NBA Countdown in January 2025. “They have not been able to meet that steep price.”
Utah’s Asking Price Always Too Steep
That price tag proved prohibitive.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto previously reported that Utah demanded at least two first-round picks in talks with Los Angeles — a threshold the Lakers consistently refused to cross.
Scotto added that the Jazz had turned down a significant Lakers offer before Los Angeles pivoted to a trade for Mark Williams, a deal that was ultimately rescinded.
In September, Lakers Daily’s Ashish Mathur reported that Los Angeles planned to revisit Kessler talks during the 2025–26 season, believing patience might soften Utah’s stance. That strategy now appears obsolete.
Restricted Free Agency Offers Little Hope
Even in restricted free agency, the Lakers face long odds.
Utah holds Kessler’s Bird rights and can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him while matching any offer sheet. According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Jazz deliberately delayed an extension for financial flexibility, not because of wavering commitment.
“By not signing Kessler now, he would have a cap hold of $14.9 million next summer,” Jones wrote, “which would give the Jazz enough space to keep Kessler’s hold and still do work in free agency.”
Kessler himself acknowledged frustration at media day after extension talks stalled, though he emphasized loyalty to Utah.
“I’m definitely a little frustrated with how things have gone,” Kessler said. “But regardless, I love Utah. As long as I have a Utah Jazz jersey on, I’m going to play winning basketball.”
Why the Lakers Still Coveted Kessler
Before a shoulder injury cut his 2024–25 season short in November, Kessler was off to a strong start. In five games, the 7-foot-1 center averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 blocks, reaffirming his status as one of the league’s elite rim protectors.
At just 24 years old, his defensive instincts, verticality, and interior presence remain exactly what the Lakers have prioritized as they reshape their roster around Dončić.
But with Utah now fully committed to pairing Kessler with Jackson Jr., that path has closed.
For the Lakers, the Jazz’s blockbuster swing did more than alter the Western Conference landscape — it quietly erased one of their most carefully pursued solutions in the middle.
And with the center market thinning fast, Los Angeles must now pivot — again.