The Los Angeles Lakers have officially committed to a new cornerstone with a massive sign-and-trade for former Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler. Los Angeles shipped out two first-round draft picks and a pair of pick swaps to bring Kessler in and instantly make him their interior anchor.
Though there's a case to be made that the Lakers overpaid for Kessler, he's the perfect center for the early demands of the Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles.
The Lakers entered the 2026 offseason with a glaring need for a center who could protect the paint, operate in the pick-and-roll, and crash the offensive glass. They struggled to find consistent value in all three of those areas, let alone any one, in 2025-26.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers have invested in Kessler as the solution to their issues with a four-year, $130 million contract.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, sources tell ESPN. Kessler will sign a massive four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/rt8b17fEQZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
There are questions about Kessler's injury history and general ability to justify the asking price, but the Lakers have a fascinating talent on their hands after completing this lucrative deal.
Walker Kessler checks all essential boxes for Lakers at center
Kessler boasts career averages of 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 offensive rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game. He's managed those numbers on 68.1 percent shooting from the field, which is a testament to his efficient decision-making and interior finishing.
Most impressive of all: Kessler averages more blocks than personal fouls, thus revealing how disciplined he is in that regard.
Kessler's per-game averages admittedly fail to truly jump off the page, but extrapolating the data produces compelling results. His numbers translate to 13.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 4.8 offensive rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 3.4 blocks per 36 minutes.
For a Lakers team that ranked No. 28 in second chance points scored and No. 19 in points allowed in the paint in 2025-26, Kessler should provide instantly significant value.
Walker Kessler is a true interior anchor
Kessler unfortunately missed 77 games in 2025-26, which makes 2024-25 the most recent sufficient sample size to evaluate. During that season, he firmly established himself as one of the best interior-based big men in the NBA.
That starts with the fact that Kessler ranked in the 97th percentile in rim deterrence, the 90th percentile in rim disruption, and the 99th percentile in rim protection, per Basketball Index.
Kessler also ranked in the 89th percentile in screen assists per 75 possessions and the 90th percentile in roll man possessions per 75. Each of those facts seem to make him a perfect fit for Doncic's pick-and-roll tendencies and perhaps even his defensive deficiencies.
There are certainly reasons for skepticism, but on the court, Kessler offers everything the Lakers needed from a big man to push the Doncic era forward.
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