One of the biggest moves of the offseason was the Los Angeles Lakers landing rising star big man Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade from the Utah Jazz, with the Lakers surrendering multiple first round picks and then handing Kessler a four-year deal worth roughly $130 million.
Whether Kessler is enough to help the Lakers, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as the main stars, contend with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference is highly debatable. Then one considers that the Lakers don’t even have a dependable big man to back up Kessler, especially if the 25-year-old center misses time next season.
L.A. has a clear hole at backup center and not much time left to address it. The free agent market has dried up, and the Lakers will find it challenging to make most trades given their limited assets.
The Trade the Lakers Could Make
Chicago Bulls big man Jalen Smith has been commonly mentioned as a Lakers trade target. In July, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that the Lakers have Smith on their radar. Especially after the Bulls underwent significant front office changes this offseason, Lake Show Life’s Chris Lambert detailed why Smith has become an attainable target for L.A.
“With the Bulls in a rebuild after a new front office came in this summer and drafted Caleb Wilson in this past summer’s draft, Smith’s expiring contract could be an asset for them,” Lambert wrote. “Considering they already have Nic Claxton and Zach Collins, they don’t necessarily need Smith. They could use him to get younger and add draft capital. The Lakers could make a rather compelling offer that includes Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, and a second-round pick.”
Smith isn’t a “star” big man, but he is coming off a strong enough season that could give the Lakers confidence in his upside. A 26-year-old big man, Smith averaged over 10 points and nearly seven rebounds per game in 53 appearances for the Bulls last season.
For the price of a couple of modest players and a second round pick or two, Smith would be an excellent pick up for the Lakers.
L.A. Eyeing Smith
Earlier this offseason, Woike mentioned Smith among multiple big men the Lakers weighed pursuing.
“Smith has some fans within the organization because he plays with motor and has worked himself into a pretty good outside shooter,” Woike wrote. “But Smith is expensive (one-year, $9.5 million remaining on his deal) and undersized at 6 foot 8. The previous Bulls’ regime was a fan of his, which puts his actual availability into question.”
As Woike noted, Smith is smaller than the traditional big man, but he could offer ways for the Lakers to deploy versatile small ball lineups. He has the athleticism to make plays around the basket and can even hang out around the 3-point line.
It is unclear if the Bulls are shopping Smith, but if Chicago can grab a couple of picks and a prospect like Knecht, perhaps that would be enough to bring Smith to Los Angeles.
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