As the 2026-27 NBA season draws near, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves with a clear frontcourt priority: securing reliable depth behind new starting center Walker Kessler.
The 25-year-old arrived via a costly summer sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz that depleted much of the team’s remaining draft capital, and early preseason indications suggest he can anchor the paint in the way the roster needs.
In his debut against the Golden State Warriors, Kessler produced 11 points and nine rebounds in roughly half the game, flashing the rim-running, rolling, and protective traits that made him a target.
The Lakers even outscored Golden State by 15 points in his minutes during a loss, underscoring both his impact and the drop-off that follows when he sits.
That drop-off has made a secondary center essential if Kessler is to stay fresh across a full season and playoffs. Yet the Lakers enter these final days before the regular season with constrained options.
The Kessler acquisition cost two unprotected first-round picks plus a pair of first-round swaps, leaving the front office with only a 2032 first-round swap and three second-round selections as trade chips.
During a recent Reddit AMA, Athletic reporter Dan Woike indicated that Los Angeles has canvassed the league for backup bigs, but the asks have consistently required multiple second-round picks.
Woike has noted the team’s appreciation for Kevon Looney’s positional reliability while expressing a preference for a more dynamic option, especially in stretches without Kessler.
At the same time, he has suggested the club may prefer to address the issue later rather than exhaust a meaningful share of its remaining assets on a player expected to log limited minutes.
Among the names that have circulated is Chicago Bulls center Jalen Smith, who is in the final year of the three-year, $27 million deal he signed in 2024 and is currently earning roughly $9.4 million.
Smith has been a recurring figure in Lakers speculation, and Woike’s comments align with reports that Chicago has sought two second-round picks in return.
The 26-year-old offers immediate size and production that could stabilize non-Kessler minutes, yet the Lakers appear reluctant to meet that price for a useful but not transformative piece.
With preseason already highlighting the strain on the frontcourt whenever Kessler rests, the organization faces a familiar tension between short-term readiness and the need to preserve future flexibility.
Whether that calculation leads to a late move before opening night or a wait until the midseason deadline remains an open question as the Lakers finalize their roster.
