Lakers Just Drained Their Draft Cupboard for Walker Kessler. Now What?

The Lakers went all-in on Wednesday, landing Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade that cost them two first-round picks and two pick swaps. Kessler’s new deal: four years, $130 million. And according to Shams Charania of ESPN, the move was designed to fix L.A.’s frontcourt problems once and for all.

But here’s the thing. Those problems might not be the only ones.

Draft Picks? What Draft Picks?

ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel dropped a pretty sobering stat after the deal went through. The Lakers now have zero tradeable first-round picks for the next seven years. Zero. And between Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler, the team is on the hook for about $475 million in guaranteed money.

That’s a lot of cash tied up in three guys. One of them is a center who has spent chunks of his career battling injuries and inconsistency. Kessler has talent, no doubt. But he’s not exactly a sure thing.

The LeBron Factor

Of course, this all looked different when LeBron James was still part of the picture. But this week, James announced he’s taking his talents elsewhere in free agency. So the Lakers are now building around Doncic and Reaves, with Kessler as their new anchor in the paint. Win-now move? Sure. But the roster as it stands right now doesn’t exactly scream contender.

On Wednesday, the Lakers also lost Marcus Smart to the Houston Rockets. Rui Hachimura is expected to sign elsewhere too. That leaves L.A. awfully thin on the wings and in the backcourt. Reaves and Doncic can carry a lot of weight, but you need depth to survive an 82-game season and a playoff run.

Does It Even Work?

There’s a logic to pairing Kessler with Doncic. He’s a rim-running, shot-blocking big who can clean up misses and finish lobs. That’s a center archetype that fits next to a ball-dominant guard like Luka. But fit only gets you so far when the rest of the roster is full of question marks.

Rob Pelinka has a few more days to work some magic before free agency cools off. Maybe he finds a way to flip a couple of minimum contracts into real contributors. Maybe a trade emerges that nobody saw coming. But right now, it’s hard to picture this Lakers team — even with Doncic, Reaves and Kessler — being truly competitive next season.

The draft pick cupboard is bare. The cap sheet is heavy. And the guy who held this whole thing together just left.