The biggest acquisition the Los Angeles Lakers made this offseason was executing a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz for center Walker Kessler. The deal cost the Lakers the majority of their draft capital, but the team believes they have found the ideal center to pair with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Reaves and Kessler actually have a little bit of history together as they were both part of the Team USA squad that participated in the FIBA World Cup in 2023. Reaves recently recalled the kind of person Kessler is while also noting that he is happy to have him as a member of the Lakers now.
“He’s a big, goofy dude that just enjoys life and has fun,” Reaves said during a media availability. “Obviously you see what he does basketball-wise, how he impacts the game. He’s good defensively, good in the pocket and just a smart player. Happy to have him on the team and get to work.”
The defensive side of the ball is where Kessler will make the biggest impact as this team’s anchor on that end of the court. He is an excellent rim protector, something the Lakers have been missing, and is also one of the best offensive rebounders in the league so he will be able to create extra possessions for this squad.
Pairing with Reaves and Doncic offensively should work out well also as both guards thrive in the pick-and-roll and should be able to create a number of easy dunks at the rim for Kessler. As Reaves noted, Kessler is a smart player and that should allow for him to fit well with this team.
This Lakers roster is a completely different one from last season as the front office committed fully to building the team around Doncic and ultimately get back into championship contention. While they likely haven’t made that leap just yet after one offseason, Kessler is a foundational piece that will get them closer to that goal and Reaves is ready to get to work with his new center.
Austin Reaves says he beats Luka Doncic at everything other than basketball
The relationship between Reaves and Doncic has grown into one of the closest and most entertaining bromances in the NBA. Both are extremely competitive and love to trash talk and that goes for off-court activities as well with Reaves claiming that he beats his Lakers’ superstar teammate in everything but basketball.
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