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The Los Angeles Lakers, after years of intense pursuits of big men, finally got Luka Doncic a center to build around.
Former Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler is the new starting center for the Lakers after a sign-and-trade was agreed to during free agency.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers acquired Kessler from the Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030.
Additionally, the Lakers gave him a four-year, $130 million deal with a player option in his fourth year.
Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) smiles after making a great play during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
With the contract, Kessler moves into the top 10 of the highest-paid centers in the NBA. Considering he does not have an All-Star team or All-NBA appearance to his name, it is quite the price in trade assets and money to pay for one player.
Given how crucial a center is for Luka Doncic and the Lakers, and how dry the center market is, there is some understanding of the price.
Regardless of how much it costs, Kessler is now here, and this is what the Lakers are getting:
Measuring at seven feet and one inch, Kessler is only 25 years old and remains a player with untapped potential.
His archetype is that of a player who crashes the boards hard and specializes in rim protection. In his first three seasons in the NBA, excluding this past year, where he only played a handful of games, Kessler had at least a 95th percentile block rate.
Additionally, his foul rate has been in the 72nd percentile for a big man, indicating he avoids fouling despite an aggressive rim-protection approach.
Kessler is an amazing offensive rebounder, getting anywhere between 11.2% to 15% of offensive rebounds. Defensively, he is not as good a rebounder, sitting around the high 60’s percentile for defensive rebound rate.
Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives past Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
On the offensive end, Kessler has a stellar effective field goal rate since most of his shots come at the rim. He tends to get 80% of his shots at the cylinder, with the rest coming in the short mid-range area.
Most of his buckets tend to come assisted at the rim, and the rest tend to be on the back of his work on the boards.
He plays hard on both ends of the court, and Kessler will never demand touches or anything; he does all of the little things and dirty work that two-star guards who are lackluster defensively, like Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
Kessler only averages 9.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, which on paper does not merit anywhere near the $30+ million he got, but in a pivotal role with star creators and a high-quality head coach, he could end up living up to the contract, though there is some projection involved and risk with all of the assets invested.
The post Lakers Gamble Big on Walker Kessler to Fix Luka Doncic’s Biggest Problem appeared first on LA Sports Report.
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Former Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler is the new starting center for the Lakers after a sign-and-trade was agreed to during free agency.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers acquired Kessler from the Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030.
Additionally, the Lakers gave him a four-year, $130 million deal with a player option in his fourth year.
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Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) smiles after making a great play during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
With the contract, Kessler moves into the top 10 of the highest-paid centers in the NBA. Considering he does not have an All-Star team or All-NBA appearance to his name, it is quite the price in trade assets and money to pay for one player.
Given how crucial a center is for Luka Doncic and the Lakers, and how dry the center market is, there is some understanding of the price.
Regardless of how much it costs, Kessler is now here, and this is what the Lakers are getting:
What Kessler brings to the Lakers
Measuring at seven feet and one inch, Kessler is only 25 years old and remains a player with untapped potential.
His archetype is that of a player who crashes the boards hard and specializes in rim protection. In his first three seasons in the NBA, excluding this past year, where he only played a handful of games, Kessler had at least a 95th percentile block rate.
Additionally, his foul rate has been in the 72nd percentile for a big man, indicating he avoids fouling despite an aggressive rim-protection approach.
Kessler is an amazing offensive rebounder, getting anywhere between 11.2% to 15% of offensive rebounds. Defensively, he is not as good a rebounder, sitting around the high 60’s percentile for defensive rebound rate.
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Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives past Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
On the offensive end, Kessler has a stellar effective field goal rate since most of his shots come at the rim. He tends to get 80% of his shots at the cylinder, with the rest coming in the short mid-range area.
Most of his buckets tend to come assisted at the rim, and the rest tend to be on the back of his work on the boards.
He plays hard on both ends of the court, and Kessler will never demand touches or anything; he does all of the little things and dirty work that two-star guards who are lackluster defensively, like Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
Kessler only averages 9.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, which on paper does not merit anywhere near the $30+ million he got, but in a pivotal role with star creators and a high-quality head coach, he could end up living up to the contract, though there is some projection involved and risk with all of the assets invested.
The post Lakers Gamble Big on Walker Kessler to Fix Luka Doncic’s Biggest Problem appeared first on LA Sports Report.
Continue reading...
