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(Image Source – Getty Images) The whispers are growing louder in Los Angeles. Austin Reaves, a breakout performer and fan favorite, may not be wearing the purple and gold for much longer. While the Lakers aren\u2019t actively shopping him, they’re listening and one team, the Utah Jazz, is emerging as a serious suitor. What makes this more than just noise is the inclusion of a specific name in Utah\u2019s package. If Walker Kessler is involved, this deal could become very real, very fast.<\/p>\n
Utah Jazz’s pitch could tempt Rob Pelinka if it includes both size and scoring help<\/p>\n
The Jazz are reportedly focused on Reaves, and the Lakers are closely monitoring the situation. What gives this trade potential is the blend of two very different yet equally valuable players: Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton. Kessler, a 7-foot defensive force, provides the rim protection and size that the Lakers have been missing during their playoff difficulties.At the same time, Sexton brings a scoring surge off the bench, able to fill the score sheet when LeBron James or Luka Don\u010di\u0107 need assistance. This combination meets multiple needs for the Lakers \u2014 interior defense, athleticism, and bench scoring \u2014 and together they represent the kind of immediate impact that Rob Pelinka would need to justify parting ways with Reaves.Reaves isn\u2019t just a dependable contributor \u2014 he\u2019s coming off a breakout season where he averaged over 20 points, nearly 6 assists, and shot close to 38% from beyond the arc. He\u2019s shown composure in critical moments, has good chemistry with the stars, and perhaps most importantly, is tied to a four-year deal that averages around $13.5 million per season.That\u2019s incredible value in today\u2019s cap-heavy league. However, with a player option on the horizon in 2026, the Lakers risk losing him for nothing if they don\u2019t take action now. It\u2019s that ticking clock \u2014 paired with a package like Utah\u2019s \u2014 that makes these trade discussions so serious.Even though Reaves is a fan favorite in the locker room and has expressed his desire to stay a Laker for life, the NBA operates as a business \u2014 and Pelinka is running out of time to create a championship team around LeBron and Luka. With Desmond Bane leaving Memphis and Jayson Tatum sidelined in Boston, there’s a unique opportunity to advance in the West.Also Read: Tracy McGrady breaks silence on what could\u2019ve happened if he played alongside Shaquille O\u2019Neal during the Kobe Bryant era<\/a>The Lakers aren’t going to trade Reaves just to make a deal. However, if Utah offers both Kessler and Sexton, the front office will definitely have a serious discussion \u2014 and fans should brace themselves for a move that might sting now but could yield great rewards later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Image Source – Getty Images) The whispers are growing louder in Los Angeles. Austin Reaves, a breakout performer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115009,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3790],"tags":[23806,7,4034,1698,300,23811,23809,4044,251,150,23808,4033,4043,6,23807,23810,1405],"class_list":{"0":"post-115008","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-lakers","8":"tag-austin-reaves-trade-rumors","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-la","11":"tag-la-lakers","12":"tag-lakers","13":"tag-lakers-championship-aspirations","14":"tag-lakers-front-office-decisions","15":"tag-lalakers","16":"tag-los-angeles","17":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","18":"tag-los-angeles-lakers-offseason-moves","19":"tag-losangeles","20":"tag-losangeleslakers","21":"tag-nba","22":"tag-nba-trade-news-2023","23":"tag-utah-jazz-trade-package","24":"tag-walker-kessler"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114723115905003459","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115008\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}