Walker Kessler’s arrival in Los Angeles could change the way the Lakers build around Luka Dončić, and the fit goes beyond the obvious defensive boost. The Lakers paid a steep price to get there, dealing all of their remaining first-round picks to land Kessler from the Utah Jazz and then committing $130 million to him. It’s a major bet on a player who missed almost all of last season and has never played on a playoff team.
Even with that risk attached, the appeal is easy to see. Kessler brings elite rim protection and rebounding, which gives the Lakers a true anchor in the paint.
For a team trying to make life easier on Dončić, that matters a lot. Dončić has spent his career carrying a heavy defensive burden, and he has never had a rim protector at Kessler’s level behind him.
He played with some solid centers in Dallas, but nothing close to what Kessler offers around the basket.
That should matter every time opponents try to attack Los Angeles. With a 7'1" presence shutting down the paint, Dončić won’t be left as exposed on defense, and the Lakers can force more difficult finishes at the rim.
Kessler’s offensive role won’t look like the classic rim-running big Dončić has often preferred, but there’s still real value there. He’s 7'1, he sets hard screens, and he has decent hands, which makes him a viable lob target.
At the very least, he should do a better job than Deandre Ayton at creating space for Dončić with physical screens. That kind of screening can help Dončić get downhill more easily, and that is exactly the sort of pressure opposing defenses hate dealing with.
The Lakers appear to be leaning into a more Dončić-driven offense, and there’s reason to think that can work. Dončić posted one of his best seasons last year, averaging 33.5 points per game and showing what skinny Luka is all about. With more offensive help around him, Los Angeles could end up with a top five offense.
But there’s a catch. A high-powered attack won’t get them very far unless the defense can at least hold steady. The Lakers could have done more to add defensive help elsewhere, and that may put a cap on how high they can climb.
Still, the organization is clearly counting on Kessler to clean up the paint and force opponents into tougher shots at the rim. If he can get them to league-average on defense, Dončić should be able to handle the rest.
In Other News...
Luka Doncics New Lakers Role Could Lead To Something Huge
With LeBron James gone, Luka Doncic is headed into next season with a very different kind of runway in Los Angeles. Around the league, that shift has already sparked talk about how much more of the offense will run through him, especially after Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon revisited Doncics chances of adding another scoring title to a resume that already includes two in the past three seasons.
The question is not whether Doncic can pile up points, but how the Lakers want that volume to look over a full season. Windhorst and MacMahon pointed to his scoring last year, his style of play and the ongoing conversation around his conditioning as the key pieces in that equation, which is why this role change feels like more than just a roster adjustment. If it all clicks, Los Angeles could be looking at a version of Doncic that puts him in the middle of something much bigger than a simple scoring chase. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Could Be Pulled Into A Familiar Luka Doncic Trade Twist
The Lakers have kept working the edges of their roster this offseason, bringing in Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney while still looking for another center through either a trade or a signing. Even with those additions, the bigger picture remains unsettled, because the frontcourt still has questions and the power forward spot has not been firmly sorted out. That has left Los Angeles open to all kinds of trade ideas as it tries to build something sturdier around its top options.
One possibility under discussion would send PJ Washington into the mix, a move that would give the Lakers another starting-caliber piece while also putting Luka Doncic back in touch with a familiar former teammate. For a team trying to balance fit, size, and lineup clarity, it is the sort of proposal that makes sense on paper even if plenty has to happen before it becomes real. For now, the Lakers are still hunting for the right frontcourt answer, and the market around them keeps offering reminders that one more move could change the look of the whole group. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler May Fix The Lakers Problem Luka Needs Solved
After locking in Austin Reaves on a four-year, $185 million deal, the Lakers kept working on the roster around Luka Doncic by adding Walker Kessler from the Jazz in a sign-and-trade. It is a clear attempt to sharpen the teams frontcourt after last seasons need for more reliable play at center, with Kessler arriving as the kind of defensive presence Los Angeles has been chasing.
For a team built around Doncics ability to bend defenses, the fit is obvious on paper. Kessler is seen as a potential upgrade in the middle and a cleaner complement to a star who can create offense at a high level, but the real question is how quickly the Lakers can turn a long-standing weakness into something dependable enough to matter when the games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]