NBA Rumors: 5 Dream trade ideas to help Lakers find new starting center

Lakers land premier young center with upside

Why Walker Kessler makes sense as a target: When trying to find potential trade targets that would make sense for the Los Angeles Lakers, it shouldn't be that surprising to hear that Walker Kessler has been on the team's radar. As a young center in the league, Kessler has already proven to be an effective rim protector. Even if he is only that for the Lakers, they would immediately be getting an upgrade at the moment. But what makes Kessler all the more appealing is that he can be so much more than just a defensive big.

Kessler is currently playing the best basketball of his career with the Utah Jazz, averaging 9 points, 11 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game on 68 percent shooting from the field. With plenty of upside, this is a player who may not have even begun to scratch the surface of his ceiling. The Lakers could view targeting Kessler as an opportunity to add a player that would help more than just this season. However, prying him out of Utah could be more complicated than it appears.

What a trade would look like: Can the Los Angeles Lakers front office shuffle some money around to make this work? The Lakers would need to account for $58,000 for this trade to become legal. I believe they could make it happen. Assuming they could alter this deal slightly to make it legal, the Lakers could craft a package around Rui Hachimura (who could be viewed as a building block piece next to Lauri Markkanen) and two second-round picks. In return, the Lakers would not only receive Kessler back but also Jordan Clarkson, which would help soften the blow of losing Hachimura's offensive contributions.

In this deal, the Lakers would continue to bolster their depth while also adding a defensive-minded center with the potential for an even greater future. I'm not sure if the Utah Jazz would jump to get this deal done, especially without any first-round picks stapled to it, but this would be considered a dream possibility for the Lakers. And after all, this is what we're aiming for with these frameworks. But even then, Hachimura could be an intriguing piece for the Jazz if they're genuinely looking for pieces to upgrade the roster.