Lakers fans, watching a resurgent Walker Kessler give Anthony Davis as much trouble as anyone has this season during Sunday night’s matchup, went online to try and manifest a trade that would make the Jazz big man the five next to AD in the Lakers lineup.
The good news: Kessler is available via trade, as are a number of Utah’s veterans, such as Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Collin Sexton.
The bad news: Teams are dealing with Danny Ainge and the Jazz, and the price will be high, just like this past offseason.
Marc Stein talked about this in his Sunday Stein Line newsletter, and while this information isn’t new, it’s an update.
“The league wide presumption about the Jazz nonetheless persists that Collins — like fellow veterans Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton — is a prime candidate to be dealt between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline by Jazz CEO Danny Ainge... The Jazz are said to be pleased with Collins’ play and glad that they took his contract on from Atlanta for the very nominal cost of one future second-round pick.”
Collins is averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds a game in a bounce-back season for the athletic forward. Ainge and the Jazz are not letting Collins go for the nominal cost of one future second-round pick, it will take a first and maybe multiple firsts depending upon their quality. This is how it will be with all the Jazz veterans, the 4-16 Jazz don’t need to sell these guys off to start tanking, the deal only will get done if it boosts the rebuilding process in Utah.
Stein does not mention Kessler, who is off to an impressive start this season and could be part of what the Jazz are building going forward. That doesn’t mean he’s not available, it just means the price will be even higher. Michael Scotto talked about that at Hoopshype.
Teams gauging Kessler’s availability in Utah have come away with the sense that it’ll take at least two first-round picks to pry him from the Jazz, a high asking price in their eyes.
Kessler would look good next to Davis along the Lakers front line, but that is a steep price. We’ll see if Los Angeles or anyone else is willing to pay it, or pay the price for any of the Utah veterans at the deadline.
