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The Los Angeles Lakers continue to be linked to the top free agent targets this offseason, and will have the salary cap space to sign them.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> are prioritizing cap space and flexibility<\/a> for the upcoming offseason. While that might be a bit easier said than done, the team is expected to target a few big names in the free agent market this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of those names is Walker Kessler<\/a> of the Utah Jazz<\/a>, a big man the Lakers have been linked to for a long time. While they previously made an attempt <\/a>at trading for Kessler earlier in the season, there is an expectation now that the team will heavily target the rim-protector this summer, according to multiple sources.<\/p>\n Most recently, NBA<\/a> insider Evan Sidery confirmed that there is \u2018significant buzz\u2018 around the Lakers targeting Kessler as a free agent this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is significant buzz building around the Lakers preparing to aggressively pursue Walker Kessler in free agency.<\/p>\n Armed with cap space to make a lucrative offer sheet to Kessler, teams wonder if the Jazz will ultimately match a figure well above their preferred price range. <\/p>\n \u201cThere is significant buzz building around the Lakers preparing to aggressively pursue Walker Kessler in free agency,\u201d he wrote in a post on X<\/a>. \u201cArmed with cap space to make a lucrative offer sheet to Kessler, teams wonder if the Jazz will ultimately match a figure well above their preferred price range.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jazz chose not to offer Kessler a contract extension<\/a> earlier this season and is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason as he is in the last year of his four-year, $13.3 million rookie deal.<\/a><\/p>\n Lakers Linked To Walker Kessler In Free Agency<\/p>\n While the buzz surrounding the Lakers targeting Kessler <\/a>isn\u2019t anything new, news about Los Angeles going after one of the league\u2019s best shot blockers was relatively quiet after it was reported that Utah had no plans of moving him at the trade deadline.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, after the team made a trade for Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a> at the deadline, the rumors about him being moved over the offseason have heated up once again. Along with Sidery\u2019s report, Tim McMahon and Brian Windhorst of ESPN\u2019s The Hoop Collective<\/a> podcast named the Lakers as a realistic landing spot for Kessler.\u00a0<\/p>\n It would require the Lakers to match the contract Utah would be able to offer, but with their projected potential cap space of anywhere from $48 million to $55 million<\/a>, they could offer a substantial deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRestricted free agency sucks,\u201d Windhorst said. \u201cBut there\u2019s one narrow lane on the far left of the highway. If you\u2019re deemed a \u2018gettable\u2019 restricted free agent \u2014 meaning teams believe your current team can\u2019t match \u2014 you can sometimes get way overpaid.\u201d<\/p>\n Kessler is currently out for the rest of the season<\/a> after suffering a shoulder injury and undergoing subsequent surgery in early November. While he might not have the strongest recent resume for a team like the Lakers to look at, his shot-blocking and overall defensive ability remain top-notch and highly sought after.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere aren\u2019t a whole lot of traditional free-agent races anymore, the way to do things now is you trade for the guy, then you extend him,\u201d one GM said to Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports<\/a>. \u201cBut the situation with (Kessler) is different\u2013you\u2019ve got teams with needs and cap space, ready to give a big offer, you have got the Jazz trying to manage their own situation. So it\u2019s really wide open.\u201d<\/p>\n Lakers Have Eyes For Another Top Free Agent Target In Peyton Watson<\/p>\n Along with Kessler, whose name has been in the same sentence as the Lakers for the past few months, Los Angeles has been linked to another one of the league\u2019s potential top free agent targets this summer, that being Peyton Watson<\/a> of the Denver Nuggets<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watson has been having the best season of his career with the numerous injuries Denver has dealt with this season, and in the last year of his four-year, $11.2 million rookie deal<\/a>, he\u2019ll also be a restricted free agent this offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRestricted free agency is trickier for a team such as the Lakers that\u00a0can\u2019t afford to wait out the matching period, but\u00a0Denver Nuggets forward\u00a0Peyton Watson \u2014 an L.A.-area native who played at\u00a0UCLA<\/a> \u2014 might be gettable via sign-and-trade because of\u00a0Denver\u2019s tax situation,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Kevin Pelton wrote.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n On his podcast, Windhorst also addressed the possibility of the Lakers going out and landing Watson, who could be their starting small forward next season, as the Nuggets <\/a>won\u2019t<\/a> have enough money to pay him what his market value is expected to demand.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say Peyton Watson is trying to get into that lane in Denver,\u201d Windhorst said. \u201cIf you\u2019re a Lakers fan thinking about how to use cap space, that\u2019s a guy to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n I think getting one *might* be doable, but I\u2019m dubious. You have $50 million or so in space (maybe there\u2019s a Vando dump, maybe Smart and Ayton opt out, but 50 is the rough starting point). I don\u2019t think a $25ish million starting point steals either. Would have to overpay one. https:\/\/t.co\/ezpBvXrf9V<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \u2014 Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) February 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n If or when LeBron James<\/a> leaves, the Lakers are expected to give Austin Reaves<\/a> a near-max contract extension<\/a> to pair him with Luka Doncic<\/a> for the next few years. But besides those two, the rest of Los Angeles\u2019 roster is relatively uncertain.<\/p>\n The front office has made it clear they are focusing on players that would fit well with that star duo, and while it remains to be seen what moves they\u2019ll actually make, Kessler and Watson are two names to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tEli Gregorski<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t