Lakers Must Pivot to Onyeka Okongwu Amid Latest Walker Kessler, NBA Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers appear poised to make another run with LeBron James and Luka Dončić next season. For that run to be successful, though, L.A. needs to find center help, and pretty much everyone knows it.

"It would be great to have a center that was a vertical lob threat and someone that could protect the interior defensively. We know we need a big man," general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters back in early May.

Los Angeles probably isn't going to uncover a starting-caliber center in the draft, as it has just one late second-round pick with which to work. The Lakers probably can't buy their way into a starter via free agency either, as they're set to be just $4.4 million below the first tax apron.

If the Lakers are going to significantly upgrade their center rotation, they'll likely need to do so on via the trade market. However, their options on that front could be limited.

The Lakers have been interested in Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, however, Utah isn't interested in dealing the 23-year-old.

"[The Lakers] have maintained a longstanding interest in Utah’s Walker Kessler," Stein wrote (h/t James Hansen of SBNation). "The Jazz, though, have made Kessler unavailable for some time, which might have contributed to reports last week that suggested L.A. has interest in trading for Kessler’s teammate John Collins."

Per Stein, the Lakers are unlikely to actually pursue Collins.

Los Angeles also missed out on one potential trade target when the Boston Celtics agreed to send Kristaps Porziņģis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade on Tuesday.

Of course, there were conflicting reports on the Lakers' interest in Porziņģis. According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, Los Angeles was one "of the 10-12 teams that have been in contact with the Celtics on Porzingis and others."

According to The Athletic's Dan Woike, a deal for Porziņģis may have never been in the cards:

"One thing that won’t happen—another Dončić-Kristaps Porziņģis pairing. There’s no indication that anyone wants to see that sequel."

However, the Porziņģis deal may have given L.A. the perfect opportunity to make a move for Onyeka Okongwu—who is exactly the sort of center the Lakers would like to pair with Dončić long-term, according to Woike.

"I would be looking at centers kinda like Mark Williams around the NBA," Woike recently told The Dan Patrick Show. "That has been, sort of, their type. ... Jalen Duren, Onyeka Okongwu at Atlanta, Walker Kessler in Utah. These are people that I think they're gonna try and target."

This isn't the first time the Lakers have been linked to Okongwu either. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, L.A. called Atlanta about Okongwu's availability before the trade deadline.

"I do know the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about [Onyeka] Okongwu," McMenamin told Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre (h/t Jackson Caudell of SI.com). "I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though."

With Porziņģis headed to Atlanta, Okongwu may now be even more available than he otherwise might have been this offseason. Regardless, he should become L.A.'s top trade target if Kessler is indeed unavailable.

Okongwu will turn just 25 in December, he'll have a relatively reasonable $15 million salary next season, and his skill set should complement what Dončić wants to do offensively.