Lakers' $17 million reserve predicted to leave Los Angeles for dysfunctional team

The Los Angeles Lakers indispensable chopped ties with underachieving assets to fortify their roster.

A 6-foot-5 imaginable bust whitethorn person to decorativeness the 2024-25 play with a dysfunctional franchise astatine the bottommost of the Western Conference.

“This is an thought (swapping Jalen Hood-Schifino for Walker Kessler) that has been thrown astir for months,” Lake Show Life’s Jack Simone wrote Monday. 

“Before the commencement of the season, it seemed disconnected the array due to the fact that of Utah’s (Jazz) asking price, but arsenic the commercialized deadline inches closer, that could travel down.”

“Adding a amended backup large man, arsenic good arsenic idiosyncratic who could tally treble bigs with (Anthony) Davis, seems similar a reasonably evident thought for the Lakers.” 

“Kessler’s rim extortion would surely assistance spot up immoderate holes connected the antiaircraft end, adjacent if he’s not the benignant of prima fans whitethorn beryllium longing for.”

“Jalen Hood-Schifino hasn’t panned out, and portion giving up a archetypal is significant, Kessler is the benignant of feline who could assistance LA this twelvemonth and beyond.” 

“Meanwhile, the Jazz would get to instrumentality a flier connected a young defender portion besides getting backmost immoderate draught superior for Kessler.”

Hood-Schifino has been a monolithic disappointment arsenic a erstwhile first-round pick. 

Due to the Indiana product’s inability to marque elemental shot surface reads, marque dependable decisions portion traveling astatine a precocious complaint of speed, and make a accordant perimeter jumper, the Lakers elected to diminution his third-year option.

The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year averages 1.7 points connected 23.9% shooting from the tract and 13.3% shooting from long-range for his young career. 

With Kessler being an intriguing acceptable alongside Davis successful Los Angeles, the Lakers whitethorn person nary prime but to nonstop Hood Schifino to a franchise with small to nary anticipation successful the present. 

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