The Lakers made a major swing for Walker Kessler this offseason, and the price tag was steep enough to draw plenty of second-guessing.
Los Angeles landed the center from Utah in a sign-and-trade that sent the Jazz two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. In return, the Lakers handed Kessler a four-year, $130 million contract, a deal Yahoo Sports’ Ben Rohrbach ranked as the second-worst of 2026 free agency.
Rohrbach’s issue wasn’t just the money. He pointed to the full cost of the move, writing, “It’s not just that the Lakers paid Walker Kessler an average annual value of $32.5 million, or about as much as the Miami Heat will pay three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo next season,” Rohrbach wrote. “It’s that the Lakers sent the Utah Jazz two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps in a sign-and-trade transaction for the right to give an oft-injured center that deal.
“The Lakers gave up four future assets - ones that could be used to better build a roster around 27-year-old superstar Luka Doncic - to acquire Kessler, who averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes over 201 games across four seasons in Utah,” Rohrbach continued.
Rohrbach also questioned whether the Lakers know exactly what they’re getting from Kessler, especially with the team now tying Luka Doncic’s prime to Kessler and Austin Reaves. He said the Lakers’ championship hopes will depend on how much Kessler develops in his new situation.
The injury history is the biggest concern. Kessler played only five games last season before season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Rohrbach said it was the same left shoulder that ended his 2024-25 season after 58 games, though that wasn’t actually the case.
Kessler’s missed time came for several different reasons, including a shoulder contusion, hip bursitis, thumb sprain, illness, concussion and rest. He has said his shoulder feels better than ever, but Rohrbach wasn’t buying into the optimism.
“The hope is that the surgery solved the 7-foot-2, 245-pound rim protector’s injury concerns going forward,” Rohrbach wrote. “The hope is that he plays somewhat commensurate with his production between injuries over the past two seasons - 11.3 points (on 67/29/54 shooting splits), 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.8 assists in 30.1 minutes per game over 63 appearances - or even better.
“But it is all just hope, Rohrbach added. “We have not seen it from Kessler.”
Kessler later revealed that the labrum tear in his left shoulder had been there since his Auburn days, and he had been playing through it before finally opting for surgery in 2025.
That leaves the Lakers expecting the version of Kessler they saw from Utah over the last two seasons. In 2025-26, he averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, while also hitting 6 of 8 from three-point range.
Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka is excited about the addition. Kessler may not be the kind of dominant big man the franchise has featured in the past, but the Lakers believe he can still be a strong fit.
In Other News...
Jazz Just Turned A Core Piece Into A Massive Future Haul
The Jazz just turned a familiar frontcourt piece into a much bigger long-term asset stash, completing a sign-and-trade that reshapes the next phase of their roster building. Walker Kessler had become one of the more important young bigs in Utahs mix, but the team clearly saw an opportunity to convert that value into future flexibility rather than lock into a more expensive path.
Los Angeles made the push because it wanted a starting-level center to pair with Luka Doncic, and it had the draft capital to be aggressive after the earlier Doncic deal left the Lakers in a stronger position to spend. For Utah, the move is less about what Kessler was today than what those future picks and swaps can become, especially if the front office keeps leaning into a patient reset. [Read more 🡒]