Walker Kessler is on the move, and the former Auburn center is set to land in Los Angeles on a massive new deal.
ESPN reported Wednesday that the Utah Jazz are trading Kessler to the Lakers, with the deal scheduled to be completed Monday when the NBA’s business year opens. The Lakers are sending Utah first-round picks in the 2031 and 2033 NBA drafts, along with a swap of first-round selections in 2028 and 2030.
Because Kessler is a restricted free agent, Utah could have matched Los Angeles’ offer. Instead, the Jazz will sign him to the Lakers’ four-year, $130 million contract and then send him to Los Angeles.
Kessler is coming off an injury-shortened season after surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder ended his 2025-26 campaign after just five games. Before the injury, he opened his fourth NBA season with averages of 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocked shots.
The Lakers are adding him to a center room that already includes Deandre Ayton, who returns for the 2026-27 season after putting up 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots in 72 starts during his eighth NBA season. Los Angeles went 53-29 last season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, while Utah finished 22-60 and missed the postseason for the fourth straight year.
Kessler’s 2024-25 season showed exactly why teams still value him so highly. He averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.4 blocked shots in 58 starts for Utah, while missing 24 games because of a mix of injuries, including a broken nose. He also led the NBA with 4.6 offensive rebounds per game and finished second in blocked shots per game for the second straight season.
At Auburn, Kessler won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021-22, his only season with the Tigers. He averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocked shots per game there.
The Jazz originally brought Kessler into the league as the 22nd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, after he was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then to Utah before his rookie season began. In 2022-23, he placed third in the voting for the Wilt Chamberlain Award, which goes to NBA Rookie of the Year, and made the All-Rookie team. His second season was a step back in role, as he started only 22 games and averaged 8.1 points and 7.5 rebounds, though he still blocked 2.4 shots per game.
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