The Los Angeles Lakers are in dire need of a top-level rim protector. Deandre Ayton exercising his player option on Monday didn't change that reality one bit for the Lakers (who would love to trade Ayton).
So who is at the top of the Lakers' list of free-agent targets at center? Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has been a Lakers target for multiple years at this point, even though acquiring him would be complicated. But everything coming out of Utah's building these days signals that the Jazz have no intention of parting with Kessler. Maybe it's time for the Lakers to give up on the idea of Kessler.
Jazz owner just said that Utah wants to keep Walker Kessler
Jazz owner Ryan Smith appeared on the Run It Back show in recent days and didn't beat around the bush about Kessler. When Chandler Parsons blatantly asked Smith if Smith expects Kessler back in 2026-27, Smith was immediate and frank with his answer. "We love Walk," Smith said. "He's a big piece of where we're going."
Parsons didn't pry any further. The message had been sent.
Jazz just tendered Walker Kessler, officially making him a restricted free agent
Unsurprisingly, the Jazz officially tendered a qualifying offer to Kessler on Monday, making him a restricted free agent.
The Utah Jazz have officially issued the qualifying offer to center Walker Kessler, league sources tell The Athletic. This is an expected move that allows Kessler to be a restricted free agent
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 29, 2026
Lakers don't have the cap space to spend luxuriously on Walker Kessler
Could a team come along and throw a head-turning contract at Kessler that he can't possibly refuse, and that the Jazz don't want to match? It's not impossible. A cap-space team like the Brooklyn Nets could randomly decide that they want to spend a fortune on Kessler and mess up the Jazz's roster plans.
But even if that were to happen, who knows if Kessler wouldn't take less money to stay in Utah? The Jazz suddenly have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league after adding Darryn Peterson in the draft. They are six or seven deep with exciting young talent, and Kessler is a big part of that.
The Lakers don't have the cap space of a club like Brooklyn, especially if LA decides to bring back LeBron James, as it's been widely expected that they will. While the Lakers are indeed looking to acquire their starting center on the free-agent market, it doesn't at all look like it'll be Kessler.
Other options are flying off the board. Nic Claxton's been traded to the Chicago Bulls. Clax's former team, Brooklyn, just re-signed Day'Ron Sharpe (another potential Lakers target). Isaiah Hartenstein is headed back to the Oklahoma City Thunder on a new deal.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him. Luka Doncic has said that he wants to play with a top-notch center. But with each day that passes, Pelinka gets closer to running out of options.
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