The first order of business for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason was acquiring a long-term center to pair with star Luka Doncic. Granted, it was came at a hefty price, but general manager Rob Pelinka was able to bring in Walker Kessler via sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz to fill that need.
L.A. gave Kessler a four-year, $130 million contract along with sending their two remaining first-round picks unprotected in 2031 and 20233, along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. However, the 24-year-old big projects to be an elite rim protector and he is ready to play in high stakes games.
“Utah is a special place for me, I’ll always appreciate that,” Kessler said in his first media availability with reporters. “But being in this spot now, I’m very thankful. It’s a big change and to be playing [in high stakes games], it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Since Kessler joined Utah in 2022, their focus has been on accumulating assets to speed up their rebuild. That has meant eventually choosing to tank every year. Now arriving in Los Angeles, he gets a chance to show what he can contribute to winning basketball with Doncic and Austin Reaves as pick-and-roll partners while hopefully fighting for championships for years to come.
After dealing Anthony Davis in the Doncic trade, Kessler projects to be their best center since Davis, and it’s exciting to see how he can fit with two dynamic ball-handlers. Despite only appearing in five games last year, he put up averages of 14.4 points, 10 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks. This feels sustainable to maintain throughout an 82-game season with elevated talent around him.
The Lakers essentially have a whole new team, bringing in seven new players and potentially more on the horizon with registered interest in Jonathan Kuminga and Matisse Thybulle. It’ll be interesting to see how all these pieces fit, but more exciting how they can grow together and materialize into a hopeful championship contender.
Walker Kessler discusses how he & Luka Doncic complement each other
All eyes are on how Kessler will mesh with Doncic and how the Slovenian Star can elevate the center’s offensive production. With both players in their mid-to-late 20s, they project to be a great duo for years to come.
Kessler has not played with any playmaking guards during his tenure in Utah, so this should be a welcome change for him. He discussed how he and Doncic complement each other, along with stating his excitement level to play with an MVP-caliber guard.
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