Lakers’ trade for Walker Kessler worth steep price — and needed to happen

In light of the Lakers’ 35-minute free-agency splurge Wednesday morning, which netted them Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton, and the dissection of each of those agreements, what can’t be overlooked is how the Lakers kicked it all off by filling their biggest need.

The Lakers agreed to a blockbuster trade with the Jazz that’ll land them restricted free-agent center Walker Kessler, ending a multiyear saga of attempting to bring the 7-foot-2, 245-pound Kessler to Los Angeles. 

And the cost to acquire Kessler was steep. 

A four-year, $130 million contract (an average annual salary of $32.5 million) that’ll pay Kessler around $30.2 million in 2026-27, making him the 10th-highest-paid center in the NBA next season (he’ll likely drop to 11th after All-Star big man Jalen Duren signs his next deal). 

Two unprotected first-round picks, with the Lakers sending the Jazz their selections in 2031 and 2033.

And providing the Jazz with the right to swap first-round picks in 2028 and 2030. Meaning the Lakers won’t have control of any of their first-round picks until 2032, which they can only trade as a pick swap. They couldn’t outright trade that pick until the day of the 2032 draft because of the “Stepien Rule.”

The Lakers also only have one second-round pick (2033) they can include in a trade, providing them with very little draft capital to make other moves if they need to pivot. 

And the Lakers, who entered free agency with $52 million in cap space, aren’t projected to have cap space again for the foreseeable future, let alone like they did this summer. 

Trading for Kessler was costly.

And he’s absolutely worth it — a player the Lakers needed to acquire this summer to have any semblance of having a successful offseason.

The sticker shock of Kessler’s salary is understandable. 

Among the 12 centers projected to be paid at least $28 million (including Duren), Kessler is the only one who hasn’t been named an All-Star at least once, showing he’s the most unproven. 

But at 24 years old (he turns 25 on July 26), he’s also one of the youngest and has the upside to not only be an All-Star but also an annual candidate for an All-Defense team. 

Kessler is also uniquely qualified to fill multiple needs the Lakers had. 

He’s been one of the league’s best rim protectors since entering the league out of Auburn in 2022, ranking in the top seven of defensive field-goal percentage difference allowed within 6 feet of the rim in each of his first three seasons. This includes No. 3 as a rookie and No. 3 as a second-year player.     

The Lakers? They were the league’s second-worst rim-protecting team in the league in 2025-26. 

Kessler has also been one of the league’s best rim protectors, with opponents consistently shooting significantly fewer shots at the rim when he’s on the floor compared with when he’s not throughout his career.

Since the Lakers traded Anthony Davis as part of the deal to acquire Luka Doncic in February 2025, coach JJ Redick has consistently had to scheme multiple ways to protect the paint despite not having the best resources personnel-wise.

Now, Redick has a player in Kessler he can build the Lakers’ defense around as they look to improve from having the No. 18-ranked defense in 2025-26 and No. 15 defense in 2024-25. 

And Kessler is versatile enough defensively that Redick can use him in multiple ways — though drop coverage is the best way for Kessler to operate.  

While most of Kessler’s value comes on the defensive end, he’s still a useful offensive player. 

He’s a great screener who’ll free up the plethora of ball handlers the Lakers have at their disposal, led by Doncic and fellow star guard Austin Reaves. 

And with great hands and a wide catch radius, Kessler is a strong converter at the rim via lobs, dunks or simple finishes. 

His offensive rebounding — he led the league in offensive boards per game with 4.6 in 2024-25 — will be a welcome sight for the Lakers, who’ve been a bottom-tier offensive rebounding team for five consecutive seasons.

But one of the biggest reasons why Kessler is worth every bit of what the Lakers gave up to get him is he’s what Doncic wanted.

The superstar guard made it clear to the Lakers he desired an upper-echelon center. 

Deandre Ayton isn’t that. Nor was Jaxson Hayes. 

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And while Kessler may be a limited player, he’s great at the areas he excels in and has a lot of room for growth — the type of player worth making a long-term investment in.

He’s also as close to a perfect fit as it gets for Doncic as a rim-protecting, rim-running big man — the center archetype Doncic has always been at his best playing alongside. Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024 when he had Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II in similar roles. 

With Doncic only having two more guaranteed seasons on his three-year extension that starts in 2026-27 (he has a player option for 2028-29), the Lakers couldn’t afford to strike out on another chance to get Doncic what he wanted. 

They couldn’t risk the potential of Doncic getting a wandering eye in the summer of 2028 if he felt discontent with the Lakers’ ability to build a complementary roster around him. 

Kessler doesn’t solve all of the Lakers’ issues.

They need more help on the wings. They could still get more athletic. They’re going to need at least one of — and probably both — 2026 first-round pick Cameron Carr and 2025 second-round pick Adou Thiero to have significant roles to have a shot at contending in the Western Conference. 

But Kessler fulfills multiple needs and can be a long-term starter alongside Doncic and Reaves. 

He can be a cornerstone for the franchise. 

He’ll give Doncic what he desires on the court and help remove questions about their willingness or ability to build around him. 

Which makes Kessler not worth every bit of what the Lakers gave up to get him but a necessary component of their offseason.