Deandre Ayton, the new starting center for the Los Angeles Lakers, has started the 2025–26 NBA season playing well.
In addition to his impressive defensive play thus far, he averages 15.8 points on 60% field-goal shooting and 9.3 rebounds per game.
After the Portland Trail Blazers bought out his previous contract, the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16.6 million deal in early July.
Although it might appear that the Lakers will try to sign him to a longer-term contract in 2026 if he performs well this season, a recent report suggests that may not be the case.
The second year of the new agreement is a player option.
NBA insider Jeff Fischer said that there is a belief the team will go shopping for a starting center again in the summer of 2026, and he implied that it will again go after an old target (h/t Lakers Daily).
Kessler, who plays for the Utah Jazz, is someone whom the Lakers have targeted on the trade market for a while.
The 24-year-old seven-footer averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game last season, and in three games this season, he’s at 16.7 points, 9.7 boards and 2.7 blocks per contest. Duran, who will turn 22 years of age on Nov. 18, is another reliable rebounder and defender who was discussed as a possible trade target for Los Angeles prior to last season’s trade deadline.
The team moved quickly to try to fill its void at the 5 after landing Luka Doncic in early February.
It agreed to acquire Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets just days later, but the trade was rescinded when Williams reportedly failed his physical.
If Ayton won’t fulfill his duties, the options behind him aren’t great.
Backup Jaxson Hayes, who is currently out with a knee ailment, is a decent backup but is ill-suited to play more than short spurts.
Other than that, L.A. would have to go with two-way player Christian Koloko in the middle or have forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who is 6-foot-8, masquerade as a center.
With Hayes out, Vanderbilt has had to do exactly that in the squad’s last three games. While he has played well at times, he simply doesn’t have what it takes to play the center position in the NBA.