Report: Utah Jazz Will Ask For Austin Reaves In A Deal To Send Walker Kessler To Lakers

For the past two years, Austin Reaves has been the subject of trade speculation. While his stellar performance last season has gone a long way toward silencing the trade chatter, Reaves’ name has once again come up in a report considering a potential trade partner.

That potential trade partner is the Utah Jazz, who have a frontcourt asset that has long been targeted by the Lakers. According to Ashish Mathur of the site Lakers Daily, the Lakers will once again go after the 7-foot center this season. Here’s the catch: According to Mathur, the Jazz will only be willing to engage in this trade if it means that they can land Reaves.

Mathur adds that, aside from Reaves, the Jazz will also be asking for multiple first-round picks in exchange for Kessler.

This report, of course, begs an important question: Would the Lakers part with multiple pieces (including a crafty guard who’s well-loved by LeBron James) just to provide DeAndre Ayton with a backup at the center position? To Kessler’s credit, he became a legitimate double-double threat last season, when he averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. On the defensive end, Kessler chipped in 2.4 blocks per outing.

Kessler’s addition would add even more depth to the Lakers’ front line, which picked up DeAndre Ayton in the offseason. Not only will Kessler provide rim protection when Ayton heads to the bench, he’ll also give James and Luka Doncic another viable lob threat.

On the other hand, Reaves could become a co-star instead of a supporting actor for the first time in his career if he ends up in Utah. Outside of Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz have no other explosive scorers. Reaves, who averaged a career-best 20.2 points per game last season, would form a great tandem with the Finnish star.

Lakers fans would also be concerned with the asking price of multiple first-round picks. The purple-and-gold squad has long been hard-pressed in terms of draft assets, and giving up more will limit their opportunities to replenish their roster with young talent in the years to come.

Would the Lakers part ways with a young shot-maker in order to acquire another big man? That possibility is very much on the table as they look to go on an even deeper playoff run this season.