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Lakers' Trade Target Voices Frustration With Current Team

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Monday, September 29th 2025 at 16:22 GMT by Heavy.com
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Lakers’ Rising Prospect Jalen Kessler Voiced Frustration After Being Cut From the 2024 Training‑Camp Roster

In a rare glimpse into the grittier side of an NBA franchise’s roster‑making process, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024 training‑camp roster update saw the abrupt dismissal of 22‑year‑old guard‑forward Jalen Kessler. The decision, announced in the early hours of Wednesday, left the lanky, high‑scoring forward—who had been a standout at the University of Arkansas—frustrated and, according to several sources, feeling “marginalized” by the organization.

The article, published on Heavy.com’s sports section under the headline “Kessler frustrated,” begins with an interview clip of Kessler on the day of the announcement. The young player, who had earned a reputation as a “dynamic scorer” and “play‑making big man” during his college career, spoke candidly about his experience with the Lakers’ summer‑league rotation, his hopes for a final roster spot, and the disappointment he felt when the coaching staff decided to let him go. “I’ve trained with this team for months, worked hard, and I just…I can’t understand why they cut me,” Kessler said in a short recorded statement that the piece incorporates verbatim.

A Rough Path to the Summer League

The article provides a brief background on Kessler’s journey to the Lakers’ training camp. Drafted by the team in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft, Kessler had played a total of 28 games in the 2020‑21 season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game before a serious ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He returned in the 2021‑22 campaign, slowly finding his rhythm as a 6‑8 forward who could stretch the floor and handle the ball. Kessler’s most memorable moments came during the 2022‑23 summer league, where he posted a 27‑point, 10‑rebound double‑double in a game against the Sacramento Kings. Those performances earned him a spot on the Lakers’ training‑camp roster for the 2024 preseason.

The piece links to the Lakers’ official roster page (via the team’s website) and to the NBA’s statistical portal, where fans can view Kessler’s summer‑league numbers. It also references a previous Heavy.com article that covered the Lakers’ summer‑league roster shake‑ups, providing context for how the coaching staff’s priorities shift year to year.

The Decision and Its Fallout

According to the article, the Lakers’ coaching staff, led by head coach J.B. (John) “Jack” Miller—who has been in the role since 2022—cited “system fit” and “depth” as key reasons for trimming Kessler’s name from the final 15‑player roster. Miller is quoted, via a separate link to an interview on the Lakers’ official media page, as saying, “We had to make tough choices. Kessler is a good player, but the fit with the system we’re building this season—especially with LeBron James and Anthony Davis—was a concern.” The article then explains that Kessler was offered a two‑year, partially guaranteed contract that was later rescinded when the roster limit was reached.

In the aftermath, Kessler’s frustration was palpable. The article provides a link to the full video interview where Kessler discusses his future plans, stating, “I will keep working. I want to keep improving and I’ll stay in the league.” He also expressed disappointment in the lack of communication from the Lakers’ front office—a sentiment echoed by several other young players who faced similar cuts in the same training‑camp cycle. The piece adds that the frustration is not just about the cut itself but also about what it means for a player’s professional trajectory: “Every time a player gets cut, it’s a hard hit to confidence and marketability. It’s a question of whether you can re‑enter the system.”

Implications for the Lakers and Their Roster

The article situates Kessler’s release within the larger context of the Lakers’ 2024 roster strategy. Following a 13‑game losing streak early in the 2023‑24 season, the team had been aggressively seeking depth at the small‑forward position to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With the addition of free‑agent forward Alex Caruso and a return from injury by veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope, the Lakers felt the roster was “tight.” The article links to the Lakers’ recent transaction history page (on the NBA’s official site) for readers interested in the exact timing of signings and waivers.

Moreover, the piece draws a comparison to the Los Angeles Clippers’ similar roster moves earlier that month, citing a heavy.com piece that detailed how the Clippers had also released a promising young forward—Jamal Kessler, a different player—amid an expansion of their “big‑4” core. This contextualizes the Lakers’ move as part of a broader trend among LA’s NBA teams seeking to balance veteran presence with emergent talent.

Future Outlook

The article concludes by offering speculation about Kessler’s next steps. While no formal statements from the player’s agent are included, the piece references a previous article (linked within the piece) where a G‑League team’s press release mentioned a possible tryout. Additionally, the Lakers’ website has a link to their “Player Development” page, highlighting how the organization may still keep Kessler in their system through the affiliate structure.

Kessler’s frustration, as captured by Heavy.com, underscores the volatility of an NBA career for draft‑year prospects. Despite the disappointment, the article notes that many players who are cut go on to find roles on other teams—highlighting the resilience required to sustain a professional basketball career.

In sum, the Heavy.com article offers a multi‑faceted look at the fallout from the Lakers’ training‑camp roster cuts, weaving together Kessler’s personal experience, the team’s strategic reasoning, and the broader NBA landscape. It serves both as an intimate account of a young player’s heartbreak and as an informative piece on the business side of NBA roster management.