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.

The biggest hole they need to plug is at the center position, where they had to try to get by with Jaxson Hayes, who may only be deserving of being a third-stringer on a championship team, as their starting 5. A few different big men have been linked to them, including Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, a player they have reportedly been interested in for a while.

Advertisement

Andy Larsen, a beat writer who covers the Jazz, said on the “Locked on Jazz” podcast that he thinks Los Angeles has made a trade offer for Kessler.

“I think there’s been an offer presented for Walker Kessler. And, certainly the Lakers have shown significant interest all the way back to the deadline, certainly continuing now. And him being their future of the center, giving up multiple picks to get there, that is on the table right now. I don’t know if the Jazz take it. Certainly, they haven’t so far.”

Larsen later made it clear on social media that there are no serious trade talks going on between the two teams, at least as far as he knows.

According to Larsen, the Lakers have also talked to the Jazz about John Collins, a productive forward who averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds a game and shot 39.9% from 3-point range this season.

Kessler seems to be the type of young, defensive-minded center who would be ideal for Los Angeles. He averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game this season, and while he isn’t the most athletic big man around, he is capable of being a lob threat, which is something that would benefit Luka Doncic.

Advertisement

Kessler will make just $4.9 million next season in the final year of his contract, so it would probably take plenty of draft compensation for any team to land him.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers have reportedly made a trade offer for Walker Kessler