There are far more questions than answers regarding what the Los Angeles Lakers will do in free agency to position Luka Doncic for a championship push next season. The latest from Dave McMenamin should make one major priority clear: the Lakers must give Doncic frontcourt help.
McMenamin wrote: "Luka's first and foremost desire is an A-list center,' the source said."
Deandre Ayton does not fit that description. On the other hand, there are two names out there in free agency that do: Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler. The latter has notably been 'at odds' with the Utah Jazz front office on what his next contract looks like. The Lakers would be unwise to ignore that. To the credit of Rob Pelinka, it sounds like the franchise is doing their homework.
McMenamin added: "There are several restricted free agents the Lakers have already done their due diligence on, sources familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN."
Duren and Kessler were then brought up immediately after. Of the two, there have been far more signals regarding the Detroit Pistons holding on tight to their restricted free agent at center. The situation with the Jazz, by contrast, has fewer guarantees.
Walker Kessler can be Luka Doncic's A-list center in Los Angeles
It was just the other day when reports came out about Kessler and the Jazz not being on the same page regarding a five-year, $140 million extension that would pay the young center $28.5 million on average. That gives the Lakers a clear price to beat.
There are also additional reasons to believe the Jazz could become far less attached to Kessler in the coming weeks. If AJ Dybantsa is drafted to Utah, he would need to take someone's spot in the starting lineup. If Cameron Boozer is their guy, that also creates a frontcourt pairing with Jaren Jackson Jr. that no longer requires Kessler being an absolute necessity.
At that point, the Lakers may not need to worry about playing the dreaded offer sheet game in restricted free agency. They could discuss a sign-and-trade for Kessler with the Jazz.
Doncic wants a guy who can play in the pick-and-roll with him. Kessler is the person he is looking for on offense. Plus, the soon-to-be restricted free agent is also the type of glass cleaner and rim protector that Los Angeles was crying out for last season.
For the Lakers, this would be a perfect marriage. In fact, Kessler was even on the original list of desired centers that Doncic gave to Pelinka upon his arrival in Los Angeles.
Putting everything we know together, there is no reason the Lakers should be anything less than aggressive in their pursuit of Kessler this summer. A once-perceived long shot is suddenly a must-have in Hollywood.
Add us as a preferred source on Google