LeBron James is on his way out of Los Angeles, and that alone would usually sound like good news for the Utah Jazz. The problem is that his exit doesn’t necessarily clear the path for Utah - it may just give the Lakers more flexibility to chase the kind of player the Jazz would rather keep out of their reach.
One name to watch in that scenario is Walker Kessler.
James leaving the Lakers creates a fresh scramble in Los Angeles, even with Luka Doncic and the newly re-signed Austin Reaves still in place. The roster, especially in the frontcourt, suddenly looks thin.
And that’s where Kessler enters the picture. The Lakers were already trying to get him before the Luka trade happened, which says plenty about how badly they wanted help at the center spot then and how much that need has grown since.
For Utah, the danger isn’t just that the Lakers will come calling. It’s that they could come calling with enough money to make things uncomfortable. If Los Angeles throws out a massive offer, the Jazz would likely prefer not to match it - but they might have to, just to keep Kessler and keep him away from a rival.
That’s the real risk here: letting Kessler reach restricted free agency.
No one is saying the Jazz handled this badly, and it’s still too early to say they did anything wrong. But this is the kind of offseason chain reaction that can happen when a team waits on a decision. The Lakers could put Utah in a spot where the choice isn’t between keeping Kessler or losing him outright, but between paying more than they want or watching him land somewhere they’d hate to see him.
None of this is locked in. It’s still speculation, and nobody knows exactly what the Lakers will do next. But Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Los Angeles is likely to be among the teams meeting with Kessler this summer, and that alone is enough to make this situation worth watching.
Kessler isn’t necessarily gone from Utah. But if the Lakers decide to push hard, this could turn messy fast.
In Other News...
Jazz Have A Free Agency Decision Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Jazz have some real flexibility heading into free agency, with about $15 million in non-taxpayer mid-level exception space to work with, but the first priority remains clear: keeping restricted free agent Walker Kessler in the fold. After that, the front office can start weighing whether to use what it has left on a veteran who helps right away, and the list of names Utah is kicking around reflects that balancing act. Marcus Smart, Matisse Thybulle, Gary Payton II and Tobias Harris each bring something different, whether it is defense, toughness or a more settled scoring presence.
For Jazz fans, the debate is easy to see. Smart would bring a proven edge if the market breaks his way, while Thybulle and Payton would tilt the roster toward pressure defense and energy on the perimeter. Harris is the most familiar offensive bet of the group, especially given Utahs previous interest in him before he landed in Detroit, but each option comes with its own cost and fit questions. However the Jazz choose to use that money, it figures to be one of the more interesting calls of their summer. [Read more 🡒]
What Jaylen Brown Would Really Cost The Jazz
Jaylen Browns name is suddenly sitting in the middle of a lot of speculative trade talk after Boston was said to be open to offers for the five-time All-Star, and Utah has naturally surfaced as a team worth watching. The Jazz have former Celtics executives in their front office, which gives any Boston-to-Utah conversation a little extra oxygen, especially with ideas floating around that involve Lauri Markkanen and draft capital.
For Utah, though, the question is less about the allure of a marquee scorer and more about timing. The Jazz have shown no urgency to chase a blockbuster, preferring to keep developing the roster they have and preserve flexibility for what comes next, which makes any Brown pursuit feel more like a debate than an inevitability. And with Markkanen still locked in as a long-term piece, the front office would have to decide whether this is the kind of swing that changes the franchise or just the sort that empties the cupboard. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Are Circling Walker Kessler Again And Jazz Fans Know Why
The Lakers are getting a head start on free agency, and Walker Kessler is part of the conversation again. Los Angeles has lined up meetings with several targets as it tries to add frontcourt help, and the Jazz center is drawing enough leaguewide attention to remain on the radar even as he enters restricted free agency. For Utah, that interest is hardly surprising after Kessler flashed real two-way value before his season was interrupted by a left shoulder injury, a stretch that only sharpened the sense that his market could get complicated.
Kessler is not the only name tied to the Lakers early push. Sandro Mamukelashvili is expected to have plenty of suitors after declining his option with Toronto, while Gary Trent Jr. is also on Los Angeles board after opting out in Milwaukee. For Jazz fans, the Kessler piece is the one to watch, because a team with the Lakers profile circling a restricted free agent always raises the same question: how far will the bidding go before Utah has to decide whether to match and keep its defensive anchor in place? [Read more 🡒]