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The Marquee · Around the beat

Kessler's Pick-and-Roll Rises as Lakers Hunt a Bigger Trade

A Sims inquiry, consolidation talk, and a Buss family lawsuit frame preseason's final tune-up.

Walker Kessler14.4 points, 10.8 boards in 30.8 minutes across five games last season.
By the Lakers Nightly Desk · Friday, October 16

Hours before tipoff against Denver, outlets covering the Lakers keep circling back to Walker Kessler, not the scoreboard. The bigger story this week sits in a courtroom, where a Buss family lawsuit has become the real test of who controls the franchise's sale.

Walker Kessler of the Lakers
Walker Kessler. Photo: Gamecock Central, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Shopping for Depth

Silver Screen and Roll's Jackson Frank reported the Lakers have talked to the Bucks about a trade for center Jericho Sims, though Frank cited pessimism the deal gets finished. Hoops Rumors relayed Jake Fischer's report tying the Lakers to Bucks, Grizzlies and Hornets trade chatter, and Lakers Nation's Daniel Starkand reported the club is still exploring consolidation trades. None of it squares with a full rebuild: the Lakers carry a $201.3 million payroll above the luxury tax line, and the only first-round picks they control before 2030 belong elsewhere — Memphis gets a protected one in 2027, Dallas is owed the 2029 first. A Sims-sized add fits that ledger; a blockbuster does not.

A Lawsuit Over the Sale

The Los Angeles Times' Thuc Nhi Nguyen reported that Buss family members asked a judge to dismiss Jeanie Buss' own petition to block the Lakers' sale — the same sale that would hand controlling interest to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for $12.5 billion. Buss has run the franchise since 2013; her relatives are now asking a court to clear the path past her objection. No ruling appears in this report, only the filing.

Kessler Settles In

Three Silver Screen and Roll items from Jackson Frank told one story: Redick wants Walker Kessler "relentless," Kessler says the injury that cost him most of last season made him hungrier, and the Lakers are already seeing early success running him in the pick-and-roll. Lakers Nation's Corey Hansford added that Kessler and Austin Reaves are already enjoying playing together. The sample behind that success is thin — five games, 30.8 minutes, 14.4 points and 10.8 boards last season before the injury — but it's the baseline the staff is building on. Elsewhere, Silver Screen and Roll's Connor Moreno reported Collin Sexton is "trending in right direction" for his debut, and the Los Angeles Times reported Ziaire Williams looks to keep providing an energy boost; both carry day-to-day status ahead of today's game against Denver.

Are the Lakers trading for Jericho Sims?

Silver Screen and Roll reported the Lakers have talked to the Bucks about a Sims trade, but the same report said there is pessimism it gets completed.

What is the Buss family lawsuit about?

The Los Angeles Times reported that Buss family members asked a judge to dismiss Jeanie Buss' petition to block the Lakers' sale to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.

By the Lakers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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