Lakers-Jazz trade prediction sends Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht for $195M All-Star

The Los Angeles Lakers are just a week and a half away from the start of the regular season, but there’s already concern: LeBron James may not be ready for the opener. This news comes after his agent, Rich Paul, advised the team to take a cautious approach. James wants to be fully healthy as he prepares to chase another championship in what could be the final stretch of his NBA career.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”

Meanwhile, the Lakers are still exploring moves that could strengthen the roster and keep their star duo of LeBron and Anthony Davis satisfied. One name that continues to surface is Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz.

“It's unclear if Utah will be reasonable in its trade demands for Kessler, but the door appears at least slightly ajar for the Lakers to bring that value back to Los Angeles given the failed extension,” wrote Lake Show Life’s Max Ogden.

In a recent hypothetical trade package proposed by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, the Lakers would acquire Lauri Markkanen in exchange for a massive haul.

Trade details:
Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick swap, and a 2032 first-round pick — all for Lauri Markkanen.

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While the Lakers would be landing a legitimate star in Markkanen, the price is extremely steep. Losing key contributors like Reaves and Hachimura would hurt both short and long-term. On top of that, they’d be giving up significant draft capital. For Utah, the highlight of the return would be Knecht, who stands out as the only real long-term asset.

The proposed trade would certainly shake up the NBA — but for the Lakers, it’s questionable at best. In this scenario, the clear winner would be the Jazz.