With the 2025 NBA Finals reaching the pinnacle of conclusions, it’s time for teams like the Los Angeles Lakers to operate in the trade market.
After all, the Los Angeles Lakers, despite being the third seed in the Western Conference, ended up in a 4-1 first-round loss to the Minnesota Timber Wolves.
The most eye-opening flaw on the Lakers roster now is the lack of elite centers. That flaw was primarily exploited by the Timberwolves in the opening round.
Nevertheless, the Lakers are reportedly in discussions to trade with power forward John Collins of the Utah Jazz.
Average of 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per 2.0 games, Collins is a great player.
Former NBA player Joe Johnson is in favor of the Lakers chasing Collins to strengthen their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“I’m looking for the Lakers to make a big splash. I like John Collins and he played for the Atlanta (Hawks) for a while, and I think he’s going to be a great addition to those guys.
“He can get a bit of it, he’s solid defensively and he’ll be a guy who can put pressure on them from night to night.
The Lakers will look to the trio of LeBron James, Luka Donsic and Austin, earning most of their points for next season. But Johnson believes the Lakers need a guy like Collins to promote the NBA championship.
“He can get 25 points on you and get 12 rebounds on a certain night. I think there’s a guy like that. You’ll need it all throughout the regular season…
“If you arrive in the postseason and be able to compete in that Western Conference, you might need a little more help if you need John Collins,” Johnson added.
Johnson co-host Shannon Sharp is not a fan of signing Collins as he wants the Lakers to fix the issue at the center position.
Sharp believes the Lakers can do that by trading with jazz’s Walker Kessler.
“Everything’s equal. You probably want Kessler. He’s a great rim protector, so he has a big kid who can control the paint. He can block shots. He can be a threat to Rob if necessary,” Sharp said.
“John Collins is a Rob’s threat. He’s probably giving you 15-17 per night, but they really need a big one. They need someone who can block shots.
As Sharp stated, Kessler was able to solve the Lakers’ long-standing problems at the center position. He averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this season.
But the most surprising part about Kessler is that he leads the league with offensive rebounds on 4.6 boards per game, averaging 2.4 blocks per game, exactly what the Lakers need right now.