The Lakers find themselves at a pivotal point as the trade deadline approaches.

In the coming week, the front office must make a crucial decision: either go all in to bolster their chances for another playoff run or step back and hope for a better opportunity down the line. There should be no middle ground in this decision.

This balancing act of cautiously investing in the present while safeguarding the future has led to minimal success in either direction. As a result, the Lakers find themselves stuck in the worst possible position an NBA team can face — limbo.

Given recent trends, it’s likely that the front office will continue trying to balance two timelines at once. If that’s the case, the best possible move before the trade deadline is to acquire a player who can bridge the two eras.

Enter Walker Kessler.

The seven-footer is like a time machine in player form. He’s someone who could provide immediate help for LeBron James and Anthony Davis while also being a key piece for the next era of Lakers basketball. However, acquiring him won’t be straightforward.

It remains uncertain whether the Utah Jazz are even willing to trade Kessler. Some reports have suggested he’s “as close to unavailable as it gets.”

But if there’s a realistic way to get a deal done, the Lakers should be aggressive in pursuing it. Even if it means offering both of their tradable first-round picks (2029 and 2031) and possibly removing the protections from the 2027 pick they owe Utah.

Yes, that’s a significant amount for a player who hasn’t yet made an All-Star team. But let’s consider why it might be worth it and could pay off in the long run.

Short term

After a rough start to the season, the Lakers are now just on the verge of home-court advantage in the competitive Western Conference.

The stars have proven they are still among the league’s best, a midseason trade for Dorian Finney-Smith has boosted the team’s defense, and for the first time in years, the team in Los Angeles has built momentum.

However, despite these improvements, the roster still has notable weaknesses. The most glaring of these, both figuratively and literally, is the center position.

While Anthony Davis has been outstanding as the team’s main center this season, the backups have not performed nearly as well.

As expected, players like Jaxson Hayes or those on two-way contracts haven’t come close to replicating the defensive presence Davis offers, nor can they handle center-less lineups.

According to Cleaning the Glass, teams have been able to get to the rim 3.4% more often when Davis is off the floor, the highest on/off differential of his Lakers tenure. Additionally, opponents have a 3.1% higher conversion rate in these minutes.

This trend has been worrying and could worsen as Davis is expected to miss time with an abdominal strain.

The Lakers’ need for more frontcourt talent is something Davis has repeatedly mentioned, including in a recent interview with Shams Charania of ESPN.

“I think we need another big. I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been a four and having a big out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale and Dwight, them at the five and I’m at the four.”

While several centers available could improve the Lakers’ depth chart, Kessler is the best fit to allow Davis to play the four, his preferred position, while also anchoring the paint when Davis is off the court.

In just his third season, Kessler has already established himself as one of the league’s premier rim protectors and defensive anchors, thanks to his combination of size and instincts.

Since joining the league, Kessler has made the rim a no-fly zone in Utah, as opponents get to the basket less often and shoot worse when he’s on the court.

Kessler combines his impressive shot-blocking ability (second in the league) with solid technique, and among centers who’ve defended at least 250 shots within six feet this season, he allows the fifth-lowest field-goal percentage.

This elite rim protection would allow Davis to focus more on perimeter defense (another team weakness) and cause chaos without being bogged down in physical battles with opposing centers.

Though defense is his standout skill, Kessler also brings value on offense. He’s a strong rebounder on both ends, particularly on the offensive glass, where he leads the league in second-chance rebounds per game. Additionally, he’s an efficient finisher around the basket (77%) and ranks in the 98th percentile among bigs in points per shot attempt, which helps alleviate some of his spacing concerns.

In addition to his defensive and offensive impact, one of the biggest advantages of pursuing Kessler…