The Lakers aren’t interested in John Collins despite trade rumors, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
“Collins had a strong 2024-25 campaign, but I’m told any suggestion that the Lakers are a trade suitor for the 27-year-old is a mischaracterization,” Stein wrote.
Last week’s buzz about Los Angeles targeting Collins as part of some master plan to build around Luka Doncic? Never accurate, Stein clarifies.
The Lakers do have their eyes on someone else from Utah, though. They’re still interested in Jazz center Walker Kessler, who put up some impressive numbers last season.
Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 58 games as a starter.
But there’s a catch – Utah hasn’t made Kessler available in trade talks. And if they did decide to move the young big man, he wouldn’t come cheap.
The 2022 first-round pick has been a defensive force. He ranked second in blocks per game (2.4) last season, with only phenom Victor Wembanyama ahead of him.
Here’s something pretty amazing: Kessler is the first NBA player to average at least two blocks per game in each of his first three seasons since Tim Duncan did it from 1997-2000. That’s elite company.
While Kessler might be hard to get, the Jazz are looking to make other moves.
Utah is expected to “aggressively shop” veteran guards Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson this offseason. Both players originally came from Cleveland in different deals.
“The Jazz are going to try pretty hard to move Sexton and Clarkson this summer. As for John [Collins], I think the Jazz are also open to moving him, but his contract now holds a bit more value,” wrote The Athletic’s Trey Jones on X earlier this month.
All three players – Collins ($26.58 million), Clarkson ($14.28 million), and Sexton ($19.17 million) – are entering the final year of their contracts. Jones suggests two of the three will likely be traded.
Collins has until June 27 to decide whether to opt in to his $26.6 million salary for next season.
What about Lauri Markkanen? He’s now eligible to be traded, but Utah might keep him despite him playing only 47 games last season – the lowest of his career.
The former All-Star is locked in for the next four seasons on a massive $195.86 million deal.
