Lakers Shouldn't Trade for Expensive Star amid 3-0 Start, Walker Kessler Rumors

NBA trade watch always has a way of starting early for the Los Angeles Lakers.

And, yes, that's true even amid a 3-0 start for the squad.

While the Lakers have looked objectively awesome so far—downing the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings while posting the sixth-highest net rating—their front office won't put too much stock into a three-game sample. Remember, this group isn't trying to dominate the month of October—they're trying to win in May and June.

That's why it's always smart to look forward, and it sounds as if that's already happening. Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler "is a name that the Lakers have been interested in" and "would make a lot of sense" for this group.

Now, the center spot may not appear as an obvious need given the way Anthony Davis has sprinted out of the gate, but there are more minutes to cover on the interior. And that's where the Lakers might sense a potential weakness.

Jaxson Hayes struggled to see significant minutes in the playoffs for them last season, while the other backup bigs—Christian Wood (knee) and Christian Koloko (illness)—have yet to debut. If you squint through optimistic-tinted lenses, this trio might seem capable of handling reserve minutes, but it's frankly not a group that inspires a ton of confidence.

That's part of what makes Kessler so appealing. His skillset might be a bit limited, but it's defined and reliable. Plug him in at the 5 spot, and you know you're getting plenty of interior activity, be that point-blank finishing, paint protection and rebounding.

He is, by any measure, a rock-solid support piece. Teams with postseason aspirations, like the Lakers obviously have, need as many reliable role players as possible. But for rebuilding teams, like Kessler's Utah Jazz, he almost certainly isn't someone they feel must be kept off-limits when trade inquiries are made.

While the Jazz wouldn't just give him away—the 23-year-old has averaged 11.5 boards, 9.0 points (on 87.5 percent shooting!) and 3.0 blocks over his first two outings—they also couldn't ask (or at least reasonably request) the kind of top-dollar assets it would take to snag a star. He isn't the type of talent in which Utah could name its asking price.

That's big for L.A., which isn't overloaded with assets. While there's been talk of the Lakers potentially chasing a third star, that would deplete their asset collection. In other words, it'd be their only crack at getting this right.

If the Lakers guessed wrong on the player, they'd be toast. If the market never offered up the right player, they'd be toast. Even if they picked the right player and then lost a key contributor to injury, they'd be toast.

A deal for someone like Kessler changes the equation. He'd provide an on-court boost—both by manning the middle without Davis and suiting up alongside him in a two-big look—without destroying their depth or tying their hands going forward. If the Lakers eventually learned he wasn't enough to get them on the title track, they'd still have more to trade.

The impact of a Kessler addition wouldn't carry as much weight as a third star's arrival, but what if L.A. doesn't need that kind of splash? What if the Lakers are only another role player or two away from contention?

It's super early to say that, obviously, Anthony Davis looks unstoppable, LeBron James continues defying the aging process and JJ Redick has helped upped the potency of this offensive attack. Dalton Knecht already appears one of the 2024 draft's biggest steals, Austin Reaves might be making a leap and Rui Hachimura is playing with a purpose.

Oh, and D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent and Max Christie aren't even making shots yet.

This squad's ceiling is sky-high, and while there is a lot of basketball left, there are also a lot of ways in which this group can grow. If the Lakers are thinking trades now—and their decision-makers should also be weighing potential deals—they shouldn't be thinking about going for broke for a big name. Their big names are already big enough, but they just might need some support pieces to help them get where they want to go.