NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Potential Destinations for Walker Kessler

We heard a surprising report on Friday that dominant young center Walker Kessler is "not in the Jazz's long-term plan" and a trade could be in the offing.

What team wouldn't want a 7-foot shot-blocking presence in the middle with the upside of a 23-year-old beast like this? But, as usual, when Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is talking trade, the price will be mighty high, especially given the defensive presence Kessler has shown. There were reports when Kessler's name came up earlier this summer that Ainge was asking for perhaps two first-round picks.

Let's have a look at three potential trade destinations for the Jazz center:

New York Knicks

Let's start here, because we know, from Eric Pincus's report this week that these two teams did, in fact, have trade talks. It didn't materialize into a deal, but let's assume New York could revisit this. The Knicks are in the market for a center, as Isaiah Hartenstein, who played such a key role for them last season, bolted in free agency to join the Oklahoma City Thunder. They did re-sign Precious Achiuwa, but, with all due respect, Achiuwa is no Walker Kessler.

LA Lakers

How dominant would this team be if they were able to shift Anthony Davis full-time to the 'four', playing alongside Kessler in the middle. Their rim protection would be practically impenetrable. In addition, it would start the Lakers' build of young talent towards the future, when LeBron James does eventually retire.

Golden State Warriors

For a team trying to bridge the gap between giving it one more run with Steph Curry still in his winning window, and getting some promising young players to build for the future, Kessler could be the ideal get for the Dubs. He would add a defensive presence in the middle that they currently lack to solidy that end of the floor for this season, and be one of the building blocks going forward.