The Los Angeles Lakers have invested four years, $130 million, two first-round draft picks, and a pair of pick swaps in Walker Kessler's potential. It's been one of the most commonly discussed gambles of the 2026 offseason, as Los Angeles has linked Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves' respective primes to a somewhat unknown commodity in Kessler.
Thankfully, ESPN has provided two articles that offer reasons to believe that the Kessler signing wasn't the ill-advised risk that it appeared to be—starting with the fact that it named him a top-75 player for the 2026-27 season.
Kessler, 25, has spent four seasons carving out a place in the NBA as a dominant rim protector and elite rebounder with a budding offensive skill set. Unfortunately, his fourth year in the Association saw him miss 77 games after he underwent surgery on his non-shooting shoulder.
That didn't stop ESPN from ranking Kessler as the No. 73 player in the NBA in its projection for how the 2026-27 season will play out.
"Kessler's potential fit alongside Luka Doncic has him vaulting 25 spots on the NBA Rank list, despite playing just five games last season."
ESPN didn't stop there, as they recently published an article highlighting the statistics that "could swing every NBA team's 2026-27 season." For the Lakers, it was a figure that revealed Kessler's place in the interior defensive hierarchy, with only Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama ahead of him.
"Over the course of his career, he ranks third (behind Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama, among players with at least 500 shots defended) by holding opponents to just 54.6% accuracy in the restricted area when he's the closest defender, per GeniusIQ."
Though there are question marks, Kessler's name being mentioned in the same breath as Holmgren and Wembanyama's on defense is a fascinating revelation.
ESPN ranks Walker Kessler as the No. 73 player in the NBA
With Doncic in MVP conversations and Reaves toeing the line of All-Star status, having a third top-75 player would be a massive gain for the Lakers. Yes, they had exactly that when LeBron James was present, but each of their three stars specialized in shot creation and playmaking.
By effectively swapping out James for Kessler, the Lakers now have a third star who doesn't need the ball in their hands to be effective—and can truly anchor the defense.
In addition to ESPN's eye-opening statistic about Kessler's defense, there's ample reason to rate him as one of the best interior defenders in the NBA. For one, he ranks second in the Association in blocks per game behind Wembanyama since 2022-23.
Moreover, in 2024-25—Kessler's most recent healthy season—he ranked in the 99th percentile in rim protection and rim disruption, and the 97th percentile in rim deterrence, per Basketball Index.
Only Holmgren & Wemby boast a better DFG% in the restricted area
On the other end of the floor, Kessler not needing the ball to make his mark should give supporting players more opportunities to create and finish offensive possessions. It should also give Doncic and Reaves a more consistent flow to their game, as they don't necessarily have to defer to another high-usage star.
Kessler also offers two pivotal skills on offense that should help diversify the Lakers' attack: Elite offensive rebounding and high-level screen setting.
In 2024-25, he ranked in the 97th percentile in offensive rebounds per 75 possessions. He also ranked in the 89th percentile in screening talent and the 87th percentile in screen assists per 75 possessions. With skills that directly complement Doncic and Reaves, as well as any other member of the Lakers, Kessler's impact translates to both ends of the floor.
Though staying healthy will determine the trajectory of any conversation about Kessler's quality, impact, and place in the NBA hierarchy, ESPN has provided reason to believe he wasn't an overpay after all.
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