FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

With the Jazz landing Jaren Jackson Jr., the Lakers may have a realistic shot at Walker Kessler.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler for the better part of the past two seasons. Los Angeles has a well-known interest in improving the quality and depth at the center position and Kessler offers captivating value as a rim protector and rebounder.

Though Kessler seemed to be out of reach with restricted free agency looming, the Jazz’s recent trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. could make him available to the Lakers for the right price.

Kessler, who’s still just 24 years of age, started all 58 games he played in 2024-25 and each of his five appearances in 2025-26 before a shoulder injury prematurely ended his season. He remains a hot commodity on the open market, however, as a young and productive big who can anchor an interior.

The Jazz seemingly called Kessler’s future with the franchise into question, however, when they completed a shocking trade for Jackson.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ax6oQpZx0S

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026
With potential lineups that would see Jackson at the 5 and Markkanen at the 4, it’s fair to question if Kessler still has a long-term place in Utah. Moreover, it’s reasonable to believe the Lakers can now be a realistic destination for him in free agency.

Jazz trade for Jaren Jackson Jr., call Walker Kessler’s future into question

Kessler will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning Utah will be able to match any offer he receives. As such, the Lakers could submit their best possible proposal to Kessler and still find themselves unable to bring the big man to Los Angeles.

To make matters worse, Tony Jones of The Athletic quickly reported that the Jackson trade hasn’t necessarily changed how the Jazz feel about Kessler as a long-term asset.

League Sources: Utah’s move for JJJ will not affect the Jazz’ interest in keeping Walker Kessler long term. The Jazz are doing this envisioning JJJ/Lauri/Kessler frontcourt

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) February 3, 2026

There are more factors at play than Utah’s intentions and ambitions, however, now that Jackson is in the fold. Though Kessler is a restricted free agent, he has some level of control over his future with the franchise and could utilize that leverage to achieve a change of scenery if he feels pushed out by Jackson’s presence.

That was on display during the 2025 offseason, when Quentin Grimes accepted his qualifying offer from the Philadelphia 76ers to create a 2026 period of unrestricted free agency.

Lakers need dominoes to fall in their favor, but can pursue Walker Kessler

In the event that the Lakers are able to sign Kessler in either 2026 or 2027, it would at least be worth considering doing so. He’s an elite shot-blocker who boasts career averages of 2.4 blocks per game and 3.4 per 36 minutes.

Kessler also has career averages of 13.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 4.8 offensive boards, and 1.7 assists per 36 minutes, thus revealing his well-rounded nature as an interior player.

With Kessler in the fold, the Lakers could finally move forward with a legitimate rim protector on defense. They could also trust him to create second chances and potentially work the pick and roll with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Nothing is imminent, but there’s never been more reason to believe that Kessler is a realistic target for the Lakers than after the Jackson trade made a summer departure at least worth hoping for.

Rival teams are now wondering about Walker Kessler’s future with the Jazz ahead of the deadline.Due a lucrative extension this summer, Utah now has Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. on max deals.JJJ to Utah is about to set off a huge domino effect over the next 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/2IepK2VoSM— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 3, 2026

They’re gonna pay Keyonte and Kessler? With Lauri and Jaren on already on max contracts, not possible.KessLA soon. pic.twitter.com/ASsOxGF8Tj— Gregory Hendricks (@_HNNDRX) February 3, 2026

POTENTIAL UTAH JAZZ STARTING LINEUPKeyonte George Ace Bailey Lauri Markkanen Jaren Jackson JrWalker Kessler pic.twitter.com/kZhZYt8jom— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) February 3, 2026

The Jazz will NOT be trading Walker Kessler, sources confirm to @ClutchPoints.All indications point to Kessler, who will be a RFA in the offseason, receiving a new long-term deal from the Jazz. https://t.co/3hxEr9vjqe— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 3, 2026

I’d like this better than the Dort trade.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The moves to consider now, even if it means less flexibility this summer

With the trade deadline just two days away, it’s time to ramp things up. This is the next entry in the Lakers Trade Deadline Series, narrowing the focus to players worth a package built around the Lakers’ only tradable first-round pick, even if it comes at the expense of summer flexibility. If you missed the first piece in the series, the one laying out the key strategic move that should guide every other decision at the deadline and beyond, it’s worth a quick detour before continuing here.

Lakers Trade Deadline Series: You Have to Start in the Middle
Iztok Franko
·
Feb 1
Lakers Trade Deadline Series: You Have to Start in the Middle

The NBA trade deadline is just a couple of days away, which means all eyes are on Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office.

For this one, I tried to put myself in Rob Pelinka’s shoes. For weeks now, I, along with many other analysts, have been urging the Lakers front office to make a move now. The idea is to start reshaping the roster by bringing in at least one piece that can be part of the future, rather than taking the riskier path of waiting and hoping for a set of big bang moves in the summer.

But what do those moves actually look like in practice? What can realistically be done this week with limited assets, when the Lakers have only one tradable first round pick and a collection of expiring contracts? One argument is that the package does not have to be static. With some creativity, that single first could be flipped into multiple assets, expanding the range of possibilities. The Lakers also have one second round pick available, along with several future first round swaps that can be used to sweeten offers. On top of that, players like Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and even Marcus Smart still carry real league value and could be used as part of a larger deal.

Maybe this list is too optimistic, and the price for some of the players mentioned ends up well beyond what the Lakers could realistically put together this week. Still, the goal here was to focus on players I believe are at least remotely attainable, rather than slipping into pure fantasy. That is why names like Trey Murphy III, Jaden McDaniels, or Jaren Jackson Jr. are not included, despite how much they would fit on paper.

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Why the list is shorter than you might think

Before I jump into names, let me explain why my final list is shorter than I initially planned. The first and most important premise is that the first round pick and other assets should only be used if they bring back a clear starter, one who fits the future timeline alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.

The second challenge is availability. There are plenty of interesting players on my radar who simply cannot be traded at the deadline, either because they are not yet trade eligible or because they are still on rookie contracts and have already signed extensions. In those cases, any deal would trigger the so-called poison pill provision, making a deadline trade unrealistic. Players like AJ Green, Aaron Nesmith, Keegan Murray, or P.J. Washington fall into this category. They are exactly the type of players I would consider trading a first-round-pick-centered package for, but they are not realistic options this week.

Herb Jones

I know this is the name everyone has circled. It is also the player we keep hearing the Lakers do not have the assets for. My friend Marc Stein recently reported that the Pelicans’ asking price for Jones and Murphy III would need to resemble a Desmond Bane-type return, which last summer meant four future first round picks plus a first round pick swap. While I could see Murphy III commanding that kind of return, I do not buy it for Jones. Despite his defensive prowess, his offensive ceiling and overall upside are meaningfully lower, which makes that price point much harder to justify. So if there is even a remote chance that the Lakers can package their first round pick, their second, and some of the other aforementioned assets, I would want them to stay persistent right up until the deadline buzzer to see if a deal can be done.

That speaks to how much of a Herb Jones homer I am, and how strongly I believe in his potential to be an All Defense level disruptor again on a competitive, serious team. For anyone who may have forgotten, Herb Jones made the All Defensive First Team in the 2023–24 season and is 27 years old, which fits the Luka timeline perfectly. Yes, there are shooting concerns. Jones has had only one strong three-point shooting season so far in his first five years in the NBA. Still, I believe there is room for improvement at his age, and we are seeing a similar dynamic play out with Marcus Smart, whose overall impact on games remains significant despite his shooting limitations. And at this stage of their careers, Jones is a far more impactful defender than Smart, which is what ultimately tips the scale for me.

Nic Claxton

Claxton was one of the key names in my first article analyzing the potential future building blocks at center, so I will not go into too much detail again here. Just a couple of additional thoughts here.

I am not quite as sold on Claxton’s long term fit as I am with Jones. If Jones is an eight or nine on a ten point scale, I would have Claxton closer to a seven, mainly because of concerns around size and rebounding and the downstream implications for the rest of the frontcourt. In that scenario, you would need to pair him with a strong, reliable rebounder alongside him. What makes a trade for Claxton right now especially enticing is that I think it is the most direct way to improve the current iteration of the team built around Dončić, Reaves, and LeBron James. For this group, replacing Ayton with Claxton would have much larger on court implications than, for example, swapping Smart for Jones in the starting lineup.

Luguentz Dort

This one is a total long shot, but it is still worth asking the question. If the Oklahoma City Thunder, who project to be one of the league’s most expensive teams next season and a likely second apron team, feel any urgency to resolve their difficult summer decision between Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, Dort would be the name I would inquire about.

Dort is having a down season by his standards, with his lowest scoring and minutes output since his rookie year. One of the Thunder’s more obvious flaws right now is wing shooting, which is where a player like Rui Hachimura could make some sense. The Thunder have enough defensive talent to cover for his limitations on that end, while also softening the impact of potentially moving on from Dort. And with Alex Caruso on a long term deal, and Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell both needing extensions and raises in the near future, it is at least plausible that Dort becomes the odd man out.

The Thunder will most likely want to give this group another run at a title before making any difficult decisions. Still, it is a call worth making.

Andrew Wiggins

If my confidence meter for trading for Jones is at a nine, and Claxton sits closer to a seven, then Wiggins lands around a five. This is the type of move that would require a long, serious look before pulling the trigger. Swapping someone like Hachimura and a few lesser assets for Wiggins would be close to a no brainer for me, even with his thirty million dollar player option for the 2026–27 season. Wiggins is levels above Hachimura as an athlete, an on ball defender, a defensive playmaker, and a rebounder, even though he is a much less efficient scorer.

Once a first round pick enters the conversation, though, it becomes a much riskier proposition. Wiggins will turn 31 at the end of the month and is moving past his athletic prime. And while I loved his role as the primary stopper on the Warriors title team, even at his peak the advanced metrics never projected him to be on the true elite wing defender tier occupied by players like Herb Jones, Jaden McDaniels, or OG Anunoby.

Myles Turner

This was an unexpected name I ran across, and one I did not include in my big men analysis earlier in the week. The thought process here is tied to the possibility that the Milwaukee Bucks could pivot toward a full rebuild, with a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade on the horizon. This move would be even riskier than trading for Wiggins, with Turner having three more years on his contract that would pay him $29.1 million if he picks up his player option for the 2028–29 season.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

A not-so-subtle hint before the trade deadline

On the one-year anniversary of the most shocking trade in NBA history, one that rocked the league and reshaped the life and outlook of this Substack writer, Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers were back on center stage. This time, at Madison Square Garden, the mecca of basketball, against the New York Knicks.

Over the past year, most of us, even if we have not fully forgotten, have moved on. But watching Dončić face his old pal Jalen Brunson, now as a Laker and a Knick, still brings back the what-ifs. It will probably always feel that way. It will never stop being The Showdown That Should’ve Never Happened.

For Dončić and his Lakers, this game was also a reminder that the trade took him a few steps back, from a Mavericks team reshuffled around him for another run at the Finals to a Lakers team that clearly still needs a rebuild. The Lakers played a fairly competitive game, but still fell 112–100 to a deeper, more talented Knicks team.

All is not doom and gloom for the Lakers. At 29–19, they remain firmly in the mix in a very tight Western Conference race. One game remains against the Nets on a prolonged eight-game road trip, and a win would make it a 5–3 trip and a very successful one before an extended homestand.

The team is still waiting for reinforcements. Internally, the return of Austin Reaves, who has now missed his 25th game of the season, is still pending. Externally, help at the trade deadline to kick-start the rebuild and build trust that a clear plan exists would go a long way.

This one’s free! If you enjoy this kind of game breakdown and deadline talk, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Today’s notes:

Different teams, different plans, same goal

Shooting was the Lakers’ downfall, and it remains a season-long problem

The Knicks’ team-building model

Fun Spain pick-and-roll hide-and-seek (VIDEO)

LA has two All-Stars, but neither is a Clipper

1-Different teams, different plans, same goal

Dončić and Brunson are two of the league’s most ball-dominant scorers, and it felt like both coaches were preparing for a familiar problem, knowing how hard it is to slow them down once they find a rhythm early.

The Lakers tried to slow Brunson and the Knicks by going to zone defense from the start and sticking with it for most of the game. The Knicks’ plan was to force Dončić to give up the ball by consistently showing two defenders on most of his screens. The Lakers started the game well, with fast and aggressive rotations that kept them in control through the first two periods and limited the Knicks to 52 points at the half. As the game progressed, the Knicks grew more comfortable attacking the Lakers’ unconventional defense, which increasingly kept Los Angeles in scrambling mode. The clearest indicator of both teams trying to force “the other” to beat them was the volume of corner threes. There were 37 taken in this game, the fourth-most in any of the 1,969 games played this season.

2-Shooting was the Lakers’ downfall, and it remains a season-long problem

The defensive plans largely worked, as both stars were held below their scoring averages, although Dončić, with 30 points, came much closer than Brunson, who was limited to 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Last night, the difference was the supporting casts and their ability to convert open threes. The Knicks punished the Lakers, hitting 11 of 23 corner threes and shooting 43 percent overall from deep. The Lakers, meanwhile, managed just 2 of 14 from the corners and 12 of 42 overall from three.

Tonight both teams had 42 three-point attempts:

– NYK shot 43%, or 64% eFG, +10 above expected
-LAL shot 29%, or 43% eFG, -11 below expected

NYK made 6 more trees, a +18 margin on 3s.
Iztok Franko @iztok_franko
Three-point shooting has been Lakers problem all season…esp with Smart, LaRavia starting and Vando playing a bigger roles in the rotation.

Smart at 32.6%, LaRavia 32.7%, Vando 30.3%.
Three-point shooting has been a well-chronicled problem in this space. The Lakers have rough nights surviving when both starters, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart, cannot punish defenses collapsing around Dončić and LeBron James. They combined to shoot just 2 of 10 from three. The spacing when Jarred Vanderbilt, who went 0 for 3 from three, is on the floor, especially when paired with another non-shooting center, has been another well-documented problem.

Another problem this season has also been James, who shot above 40 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in the previous two seasons, struggling to convert. He is making just 33 percent of his spot-up threes and has passed up several open looks in recent games.

LeBron has been great catch and shoot three-point shooter in prior two seasons. He made 42% of them last season, and 45% in 23-24.

He is 24 of 72, 33% so far this season. Hopefully, his shot will come around in the second half of the season.

Jason Timpf @_JasonLT

LeBron has to be a more willing catch and shoot player. He’s passed on several good looks.

This roster is so devoid of catch and shoot talent, and LeBron has a strong recent track record there. He can’t *also* be one of the half dozen Lakers who doesn’t want to shoot.
Apart from athleticism, the lack of shooting has been one of the most evident roster deficiencies this season and needs to be addressed.

3-The Knicks’ team-building model

With the trade deadline just a couple of days away, recent games have felt even more like roster evaluation and reflection exercises (NOTE: If you missed my first deadline team-building deep dive, check it out here). Last night, the difference in three-and-D options around Brunson, compared to what the Lakers currently have, was impossible to miss.

Yes, Josh Hart had an outlier shooting night, going 3 of 4 from three, while Landry Shamet shredded the Lakers’ zone, hitting 6 of his 10 three-point attempts. However, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are the prototype of the modern two-way wing the Lakers so desperately need around Dončić. Both have great length and are strong defenders, with Anunoby being elite on that end. Both have also made more than 200 corner threes over the last three seasons, converting at over 40 percent. Even Josh Hart, who has a reputation as a high-motor, hustle and glue player but a shaky shooter, has converted 36 percent of his corner looks.

The Knicks also feature two very different big men, each elite in their own way. Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the league’s best shooting bigs and a lethal pick-and-pop partner for Brunson, providing the spacing their star guard needs to operate. His alternative, Mitchell Robinson, may be the best offensive rebounder in the game, punishing switching or scrambling defenses by dominating the glass. Robinson had a relatively quiet night by his standards, with only three offensive rebounds, but was still a big part of the reason the Knicks won the possession battle.

The Knicks’ shooting, along with being a top-five offensive rebounding team, explains why they rank as a top-three offense, while the Lakers are only seventh, despite having the better main engine.

4-Fun Spain pick-and-roll hide-and-seek (VIDEO)

Spain, or stack pick-and-roll, is a double-screening action with a ball screen in the middle of the floor and a guard setting a back screen on the ball screener’s defender before popping to the top of the key. It is one of the most basic and popular actions in the NBA, and for a long time, one of Dončić’s favorites.

Last night, Dončić and the Lakers ran this action on three consecutive possessions to target Robinson and Towns, neither of whom is the most mobile defender, or in Towns’ case, the most attentive. On the first possession, Robinson closed out on Dončić, but the Knicks did not want to leave the big man on an island. Hart doubled, which left Gabe Vincent open for a three at the top of the key.

On the next two possessions, Dončić toyed with Towns, snaking and rejecting the screens to create an easy layup for himself and a lob for Vanderbilt. The problem on the last play was that Dončić mistook Vanderbilt for Derrick Jones Jr., and what should’ve been a dunk turned into a turnover. Another reminder of how important it is to surround Dončić with athletes.

5-LA has two All-Stars, but neither is a Clipper

This game also came on the night the NBA announced its All-Star reserves. LeBron James was the final name revealed, adding yet another All-Star selection to his record as the league’s oldest player.

Making his 22nd NBA All-Star appearance… LeBron James of the @Lakers.

Drafted as the 1st pick in 2003 out of Akron, Ohio, @KingJames is averaging 21.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 6.6 APG for the Lakers this season.

James was, in a way, a surprising but also not-so-surprising selection, given his stature in the league and among coaches, and the incredible level of play he continues to sustain even at 41 years old. His selection also came with a bit of controversy, as it was seen by some as coming at the expense of Alperen Sengun, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard, who were among the most notable snubs.

I am not your usual NBA conspiracy theorist, but none of the Clippers making the All-Star team, with the game scheduled as part of the promotion around the Intuit Dome, felt like another awkward twist in what has already been a strange season for the other Los Angeles team. A season also marked by the ongoing controversy and the lawsuit in which Steve Ballmer is being sued by 11 investors for allegedly using Aspiration to secretly pay Leonard and circumvent the NBA salary cap.

The Lakers have been a .500 team for months. Austin Reaves is more valuable to the Lakers now than a 41 year old LeBron. They need him back badly, but you would have to be a delusional, biased Lakers homer to think that this team has championship potential. Need to make moves.— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) February 2, 2026

When Reaves comes back our already poor defense will immediately get worse. You hate to take Smart off the floor while he’s healthy & playing well…he’s far exceeded my expectations.

BREAKING: LeBron is officially a 22x NBA All-Star 🤯The ONLY season he wasn’t selected as an All-Star was his rookie season 👑 pic.twitter.com/jQiiedu0Pv— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) February 1, 2026

The Lakers are who they are! 😳LA continues to struggle against good teams as they lost to the New York Knicks 112-100 tonight. @ChandlerParsons doesn't see this team getting much better even with the return of Austin Reaves. pic.twitter.com/gmeFvYPzXy— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 2, 2026

Luka Doncic records a 30-point double-double but the Lakers drop to the Knicks at MSG 112–100 😬 pic.twitter.com/UvWUl4Jcih— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 2, 2026

JJ Redick talked about the Lakers' personnel, building around Luka and where he feels they stand leading up to the trade deadline:"We're right there in the playoff chase in the West and I think our guys have been great all season. They've really done a nice job of kind of…— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) February 2, 2026

We held Towns and Brunson to 23, but we let Hart, OG and Shamet get 68.Bron and Luka combined for 52, but Smart, LaRavia, Rui, Vando and Gabe, Hayes and Ayton all combined had 47.Not good enough from the role players tonight.— Richard Staple, BSN, RN🇯🇲 (@RichStapless) February 2, 2026

We won’t have 75 mil to spend on free agents. Austin’s cap hold will be 150% of of his current salary, around 22 mil. Ayton and Smarts cap holds will be 190% of their salaries. Plus we can’t go over the salary cap projected at 166 million signing free agents other than our own who we would sign after the free agent. I’ve read we have somewhere between 50 and 55 million available in cap space for free agents that aren’t our own.