Walker Kessler kept giving the Lakers exactly what they hoped for Tuesday night, flashing again in the matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena.
The 25-year-old center, already off to a fast start in his first season with Los Angeles, added a steal and a block in the opening quarter as the Lakers got out in front early. He has quickly become the team’s biggest offseason pickup, and the reasons are obvious after the way he has opened the year.
Kessler arrived in July from the Utah Jazz in a massive deal that sent unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, along with first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030, to Utah. Soon after, he locked in a four-year, $130 million contract.
His Lakers debut on October 21 was as loud as it gets: 26 points on 12-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks in a 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors. He backed that up with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocks and three steals against the Los Angeles Clippers.
There was a quieter night Sunday against Utah, when he finished with two points, seven rebounds and one block in a 132-123 victory. Still, the larger picture has been strong from the jump, especially after a 2025-26 season in which a left shoulder labral tear limited him to just five games with the Jazz.
The Lakers entered Tuesday 3-0, and with 6:59 left in the second quarter, Portland had nudged ahead 49-48. By then, Kessler had logged 8:18 and put up two points on 1-of-1 shooting, along with one steal and one block, as Los Angeles tried to protect its unbeaten start.
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Morant took issue with his own call afterward, saying he had simply raised his hands and absorbed contact, and he planned to try to get it overturned. Portland left with the win and moved to 3-0, while the Lakers dropped to 3-1, a result that will leave plenty of attention on the sequence rather than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]