Walker Kessler is not the kind of guy you expect to hear making promises in July. But the Lakers new center is already talking like a fan favorite in waiting, and he just said the kind of thing that makes people in Los Angeles sit up a little straighter.
The Utah Jazz sent Kessler to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal that cost L.A. a serious haul. Four first-round picks, basically. Swap rights in 2028 and 2030, unprotected firsts in 2031 and 2033. That’s a lot of future flexibility for a team that usually likes to keep its options open. The Lakers also gave Kessler a four-year, $130 million contract. So yeah, they’re all in.
Kessler, 24, told ESPN’s Ben Golliver that the size of the investment hit him the right way.
“It makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you,” Kessler said. “With what they’ve invested, they’re showing that belief, in a monetary value. Not just with money, but in assets. If I know they have that belief in me, I’m going to run through a brick wall for them. That’s how I’ve been wired my whole life.”
That’s the kind of quote that gets play in Lakers fan groups. The franchise has had its share of guys who came in for the weather and the spotlight. Kessler sounds like he’s coming for the work.
What the Lakers Are Getting on the Court
Kessler missed most of last season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He played just five games. But the Lakers medical staff has signed off on his recovery, and the expectation is he’ll be fully cleared by training camp.
In 201 career games, Kessler averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He shoots 68 percent from the floor. The three-point range is a work in progress — 26.6 percent — but that’s not really what he’s there for. He’s there to patrol the paint, grab boards and let Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves cook on the perimeter. You can’t ask for a better rim-running partner for Doncic than a 7-footer who blocks shots and sets hard screens.
The Lakers needed a center. They got one who’s still young enough to grow into the role. And he’s saying all the right things.
Not that words win games. But when a guy says he’s willing to run through a brick wall for your team, you at least want to see if he means it. Kessler will get that chance starting this fall.
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