Lakers’ fruitless Kessler Walker pursuit tickles fans: “Danny Ainge ain’t doing a trade that doesn’t screw them”
The Los Angeles Lakers' pursuit of Jazz big man Walker Kessler has hit a roadblock with the steep asking price by Danny Ainge.
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Danny Ainge is driving a hard bargain for Walker Kessler
The Los Angeles Lakers may have one last dance left in them before it’s too late to compete for another championship. With a roster led by an ageing LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a healthy patch of his career, it is paramount for the Lakers to capitalize now. One of their primary targets to improve the team has been third-year Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, although Danny Ainge may not be on board.
According to reports by ESPN Insider Shams Charania, Jazz GM Danny Ainge has been a thorn in the side of the Lakers front office led by GM Rob Pelinka. Pelinka and the Lakers have been in the hot pursuit of acquiring Kessler through trade to fill their big-man spot. However, Ainge is reportedly driving a hard bargain with a steep asking price for the former Tiger.
The Lakers have been active in the trade market looking for a center. Every time they call for Walker Kessler in Utah, that asking price is too high. That front office is trying to make calls and do due diligence, but ultimately, it takes two teams to tango and they just haven’t been able to find a deal.
Charania on NBA Countdown
[Charania](Referring to Lakers) “They’ve tried to get Walker Kessler many times, they have not been able to meet that steep price,” Charania said. “I’m sure they will keep trying.”
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Walker Kessler has shown immense flashes as a young big man, averaging 11.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks this season. Playing the traditional 5 spot, he would alleviate many of the Laker’s concerns about adding a big man to help back Anthony Davis in the court. AD himself has been vocal about pushing the Lakers front office to add the ‘missing piece’ to cross the hump.
In the past, the team has often fallen short of the Denver Nuggets, especially due to their inability to put enough bodies to back up Anthony Davis, guarding the unstoppable Nikola Jokic. Kessler would be a crucial addition to the Lakers squad to help Davis play his preferred position at the 4.
Lakers fans laugh as Danny Ainge pushes for hard bargain once again
Throughout NBA history, there has been only one cardinal rule for trading for a player – do not bargain with Danny Ainge. The former Boston Celtics GM and the serving Jazz GM has been known to drive the hardest possible bargains for any and all trades. As he continues to drive the Lakers to the edge with a high asking price for Walker Kessler, Laker fans couldn’t help but laugh at the prospect of bargaining with Ainge.
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Even as Ainge continues to tease the Lakers front office in their pursuit of Kessler, fans remain hopeful of striking a deal. Ainge has previously helped bail out the Lakers by trading for Russell Westbrook after his experiment with the Lakers met a grand failure. The only concern for Lakers fans constructing a trade with the Jazz would be the future of the Jazz.
Utah is currently in the midst of a rebuild, and they need maximum value out of their future picks. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Jazz own their 2027 top-four protected first-round pick. The Lakers bottoming out as LeBron James and Anthony Davis age out is much more beneficial for the Jazz than aiding the team by adding young pieces to help the team in the future.
Now, only time can tell if Rob Pelinka can pull off a miracle for the Lakers and acquire the exact missing piece which could help the team return to championship contention once again.
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Armaan Gupta
(362 Articles Published)