The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be active during the offseason, particularly when finding talented centers.
That’s not surprising as the 2025-26 NBA season was Luka Donsic and LeBron James’ first full campaign as teammates.
The Los Angeles Lakers already have excellent supporting casts like Austin Reeves, Dorian Finney Smith and Louis Fatimura, but adding quality centers could help them get past the postseason hump.
Following the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers relied on Jackson Hayes as their first option center. However, it was clear that manager JJ Redick had no trust in Hayes in the playoffs.
Currently, Hayes is rumoured to leave the Lakers as an unlimited free agent. With that in mind, the Lakers link to big names with lots of talented big names to fill the gap.
Among them is Utah Jazz Center Walker Kessler. In fact, Lakers analyst Mike Bresnahan recently shared his thoughts on the possibility that Kessler could become a purple and gold player.
“I like this Lakers play. Shotblocker. He’s a rebounder. He’s a tough guy, a strong guy. I don’t know about the scoring part,” Bresnahan told the Lake Show.
In the context, Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 66.3% from the field in the 2024-25 season.
On top of that, Kessler’s incredible shot blocking averaged 2.4 blocks per game. So Bresnahan said that Kessler is an elite defender, but he is not talented at the offensive edge of the floor.
Before Kessler, Purple and Gold were always rumoured to be trying to trade for Star Miles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.
But so far, the Lakers’ attempts have not been successful. With that in mind, Bresnahan implied that the team should focus on Kessler as Turner’s boat “leave the coast.”
“I think Miles Turner’s boat has left the coast forever, I think it’s out. I started talking almost six weeks ago, more than a month before the Lakers were eliminated,” Bresnahan said.
Given that Turner’s Pacers are currently playing against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals, it’s not hard to believe the Lakers should realistically take their 29-year-old off the radar.
