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The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired a new big man to pair alongside Luka Dončić, agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz for Walker Kessler.
After losing LeBron James in free agency, the Lakers front office suddenly had plenty of cap space to work with. Now that Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have also left for other rosters, it was time for Rob Pelinka to make a big move.
Following rumors about interest in Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler, the Lakers were able to land the center on Wednesday morning. But did they give up too much?
Lakers get: Walker Kessler
Jazz get: 2031 first-round pick (unprotected), 2033 first-round pick (unprotected), first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030
For basketball reasons, there is no doubt that Walker Kessler is a good fit for the Lakers, and they didn't have to trade any of the current players on their roster to obtain him as they had enough cap space. But the haul of draft assets and the contract that Los Angeles gave up is massive. Unlike some of the other rumored targets Los Angeles was eyeing in the frontcourt, Kessler is not a lob threat for Dončić. Plus, the salary and the picks will make it difficult to add much to this roster (e.g. Peyton Watson) moving forward.
Grade: D+
The Jazz front office couldn't have played this any better. Rather than matching an offer sheet from the Lakers and committing such a large salary to Kessler, they were able to collect a crazy haul from Utah. It was fairly obvious for anyone following the Jazz that their frontcourt was getting crowded with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen and Ace Bailey all needing minutes, so Kessler was the odd man out and now they have plenty of additional picks to supplement the services lost.
Grade: A+
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Walker Kessler trade grades: Who won Lakers-Jazz deal?
Continue reading...
After losing LeBron James in free agency, the Lakers front office suddenly had plenty of cap space to work with. Now that Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have also left for other rosters, it was time for Rob Pelinka to make a big move.
Following rumors about interest in Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler, the Lakers were able to land the center on Wednesday morning. But did they give up too much?
Lakers and Jazz trade details
Lakers get: Walker Kessler
Jazz get: 2031 first-round pick (unprotected), 2033 first-round pick (unprotected), first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030
Lakers trade grade
For basketball reasons, there is no doubt that Walker Kessler is a good fit for the Lakers, and they didn't have to trade any of the current players on their roster to obtain him as they had enough cap space. But the haul of draft assets and the contract that Los Angeles gave up is massive. Unlike some of the other rumored targets Los Angeles was eyeing in the frontcourt, Kessler is not a lob threat for Dončić. Plus, the salary and the picks will make it difficult to add much to this roster (e.g. Peyton Watson) moving forward.
Grade: D+
Jazz trade grade
The Jazz front office couldn't have played this any better. Rather than matching an offer sheet from the Lakers and committing such a large salary to Kessler, they were able to collect a crazy haul from Utah. It was fairly obvious for anyone following the Jazz that their frontcourt was getting crowded with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen and Ace Bailey all needing minutes, so Kessler was the odd man out and now they have plenty of additional picks to supplement the services lost.
Grade: A+
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Walker Kessler trade grades: Who won Lakers-Jazz deal?
Continue reading...
