The Los Angeles Lakers were expected by many to be among the more active teams at the start of NBA free agency.
As fans of the Purple and Gold know, that isn't exactly how things worked out on Monday night as Rob Pelinka saw Dorian Finney-Smith leave for a Western Conference rival and replaced him with a less experienced, cheaper player in Jake LaRavia.
Other moves made by the front office will undoubtedly be made in the coming days, but starting the offseason in this manner is making waves throughout the basketball world for all the wrong reasons. Pelinka and the brain trust in Los Angeles can change all of that with one trade, though.
Lakers Must Trade for Walker Kessler to Salvage Disastrous Free Agency
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is a name that has been linked to the Lakers for some time as Los Angeles and Utah reportedly discussed the parameters of what a deal would look like before last season's trade deadline.
At the time, the Lakers balked at the demands from the Jazz's front office and refused to include multiple future first-round picks in the deal. Naturally, those talks ended at that time, and Los Angeles turned its focus elsewhere. That didn't work out in the Lakers' favor, as we all know, and the Purple and Gold still have a glaring hole at the 5 spot that must be addressed this summer.
With Los Angeles getting desperate and the franchise facing competition for the best available big men on the market, revisiting these talks with Utah could be their best option at finding a center who can get the job done on both ends of the floor.
Los Angeles doesn't have the luxury of keeping an eye on the future, as much as the front office says they do. Pelinka must max out the potential this team has. LeBron James is only under contract for the 2025 season. Doncic may be the next face of the franchise, but LeBron is going to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Lakers until he walks away.
For that reason alone, going all-in on winning a championship this coming season is the smartest approach Los Angeles can take. Kessler would help them do that in a big way. If future draft capital is what it will take, then so be it.