The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the biggest moves of this offseason when they acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade. Kessler did not come cheap, but a Lakers front-office executive told Spotrac’s Keith Smith that the big man will enhance this team on both ends of the floor.
“We knew we needed a defensive anchor,” the executive said. “Walker can protect the rim and rebound. Those two things not only help our defense, but it can help trigger our offense too. Last year, we had to gang rebound a lot. This year, Walker should help get the ball and get us out and running.
“On offense, he’s better than people realize,” the executive continued. “He’s got excellent touch in the paint and around the rim. The jumper is coming too. He’ll be excellent in the screen game for Luka (Doncic), Austin (Reaves), Collin (Sexton) and Quentin (Grimes).”
Kessler averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game for the Jazz in 2025-26. The 25-year-old also shot 70.3% from the field and 75.0% from beyond the arc, but the sample size obviously wasn’t too large.
Kessler only played five games, as he had to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in November 2025. That was a bit of a concern following the trade, but he made it clear the shoulder feels better than ever now. The big man can’t wait to go out and play.
The Lakers gave up two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz for Kessler. That’s significant draft capital, and they gave him a massive four-year, $130 million deal, too. That contract was actually labeled the second-worst handed out in free agency, but you get the desperation behind it.
The Deandre Ayton experiment last season wasn’t really a success, and the Lakers needed to add a quality big man this offseason. The best unrestricted free agent center on the market was probably Mitchell Robinson, and you’d ideally want him to be your backup. The better options, unfortunately, were both restricted: Kessler and Jalen Duren. They managed to get one of them.
As the executive said, Kessler is a defensive anchor, which is exactly what the Lakers needed with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in their backcourt. They needed a great rebounder like him, too, having finished 27th in rebounds per game last season at 41.0.
On the offensive end, playing with Doncic will help Kessler immensely. The Slovenian tends to get the most out of the big men he plays with, and you could argue this is the best one he’s played with. Doncic reportedly pushed hard for Kessler. You’d expect this to turn out into a very productive partnership.
What will also be interesting to see is that jump shot. Kessler showed off his newfound range for the Jazz last season. He went 6-8 from beyond the arc, and if he can hit threes at a solid clip, this Lakers offense is going to be even harder to slow down.
Kessler has revealed that Lakers head coach JJ Redick has told him to shoot more threes, so he is going to let it fly. He also understands what the organization has given up for him and is ready to run through a brick wall for his new team. That’s exactly what you want to hear if you’re the Lakers and their fans.
