Lakers Reportedly Not Considered Trade Suitors for John Collins Despite NBA Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly not pursuing a trade for Utah Jazz power forward John Collins despite a clear offseason need at the position, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

"Collins had a strong 2024-25 campaign, but I'm told any suggestion that the Lakers are a trade suitor for the 27-year-old is a mischaracterization," Stein wrote.

Despite reports last week suggesting the Lakers were targeting Collins as part of a plan to rebuild around Luka Dončić, Stein clarified that those rumors were never accurate.

The Lakers, however, have maintained interest in Utah center Walker Kessler, per Stein, who averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 66.3 percent from the field.

The Jazz have not made Kessler available in trade discussions. As their 2022 first-round pick, Kessler remains a valued piece of Utah’s core—and if he were to be made available, it’s expected he would come with a steep asking price, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha (h/t Jared Koch of SI.com).