The Lakers finally landed the big man they’d been chasing.
Los Angeles acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The price was steep: unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030.
“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,” Charania reported.
Kessler has been on the Lakers’ radar since last offseason, and this time the team finally had the flexibility to get something done. The move also comes after LeBron James’ decision to part with the Lakers, which opened the door for more aggressive roster changes.
Charania reported that Kessler is expected to sign a four-year, $130 million contract, which works out to about $32.5 million annually. Even with that deal, the Lakers are still roughly $2.5 million below the cap, leaving room for more additions.
The fit is obvious. Los Angeles spent the offseason looking thin, especially after losing most of its key rotation players from last season in free agency. Kessler gives them the kind of interior presence they were missing.
At 24, he brings exactly what the Lakers wanted from the position: elite rebounding, rim protection, and value as a pick-and-roll partner and lob threat next to Luka Doncic.
Kessler’s most recent season was cut short by injury, limiting him to five games. In that short stretch, he put up 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 70.3% from the floor.
With Kessler now in place, the Lakers have checked off a major need. The first domino has fallen, and more moves could still be coming.
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Craig-James is expected to release a top 12 soon, which should give a clearer picture of where Alabama sits in his thinking. He also plans to be back in Tuscaloosa for the Florida State game this fall, giving the Tide another chance to build on its early edge, while the staff continues working other notable Alabama targets in the class such as CT Foster, Nehemiah McCary and Kingston Preyear. [Read more 🡒]