The Los Angeles Lakers‘ pursuit of a long-coveted frontcourt target may have received a significant boost.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Monday that Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is at odds with the organization over the lack of a contract extension and the handling of his upcoming restricted free agency.
“Difficult day for the Jazz on the optics front,” Amick wrote on X. “Here you have Darryn Peterson refusing to work out for the team with the No. 2 pick, one year after Ace Bailey did the same. Meanwhile, sources tell @TheAthletic that a player who does want to be there — big man Walker Kessler — is at odds with the front office over his lack of an extension offer last summer and the current handling of his restricted free agency.”
In an expanded report on The Athletic, Amick wrote that Kessler, citing sources, is “strongly considering the prospect of a basketball future outside Utah.”
Walker Kessler’s Contract Situation Growing Increasingly Tense
Amick’s report adds another layer to what has already been viewed leaguewide as a potentially complicated restricted free agency.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported in February that Kessler and the Jazz failed to reach an extension agreement last summer because of a significant valuation gap.
“The Jazz have a number in mind,” MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective at the time. “I think they’re comfortable in the $25 million per range. And Walker Kessler and his reps at CAA believe he is worth much more than that.”
MacMahon described the situation as a “potentially very tense and extended restricted free agency process.”
Despite previously expressing his love for Utah and committing to playing winning basketball, Kessler also admitted last year that he was frustrated by how negotiations unfolded.
Lakers Have Long Admired Kessler’s Fit Next to Luka Dončić
The Lakers have repeatedly pursued Kessler over the past two years.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in January 2025 that Los Angeles had tried to acquire Kessler multiple times but was unwilling to meet Utah’s steep asking price, which reportedly included at least two first-round picks.
Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha later revealed that Kessler was among the centers Luka Dončić identified as an ideal frontcourt partner.
“They had the meeting in Rob’s office asking, ‘Which centers do you want to play with?'” Buha said in January. “Several of the centers on that list were Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren and Nic Claxton.”
The fit is obvious.
At 7-foot-1, Kessler is one of the NBA’s premier rim protectors and rebounders. He provides the type of vertical spacing, lob threat and interior defense that the Lakers have prioritized as they build around Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Restricted Free Agency Could Create Opportunity
The Lakers are one of the few teams projected to possess meaningful cap flexibility this summer, with ESPN’s Bobby Marks previously estimating that Los Angeles could have nearly $50 million in available cap space.
Restricted free agency often limits player movement because incumbent teams retain matching rights. However, league insiders have repeatedly pointed to Kessler as a potential exception because of Utah’s financial commitments and ongoing uncertainty surrounding his long-term value to the organization.
Amick’s latest report does not mean Kessler is leaving Utah.
The Jazz still control the process and can match any offer sheet he signs. But with tensions reportedly escalating between Kessler and the franchise, the Lakers’ longtime interest in the 24-year-old center suddenly looks far more relevant.
As the Dončić era officially begins in Los Angeles, one of the organization’s favorite trade targets may finally be inching toward becoming attainable.
Lakers Get Massive Update on Longtime Trade Target for Center Upgrade