The Lakers just bet their future on a 23-year-old center who has never made an All-Star team. And they didn’t do it cheap.
Los Angeles completed a sign-and-trade Friday that brings Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz on a four-year, $130 million contract, according to ESPN. The price tag stings almost as much as the money Kessler will make. The Lakers are sending unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round swap rights in 2028 and 2030, to Utah for the restricted free agent’s rights.
That is a haul for a guy averaging 8.3 points and 7.5 rebounds over his three seasons. But Kessler is also a 7-foot rim protector who finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting two years ago and leads active centers in blocks per game. The Jazz didn’t want to lose him. They just made the Lakers pay like they were desperate.
The Deal’s Fine Print
The contract comes with a player option in the final season and a 15 percent trade kicker, meaning Kessler gets a bonus if the Lakers ever ship him out. The annual average value lands at $32.5 million, which puts him in the same financial tier as players like Jalen Brunson and Desmond Bane. High-end role player money, basically.
For Utah, this is a rebuild move. They collected two unprotected firsts and two swaps for a center who might never be a star. That’s the kind of trade that can restock a franchise if the picks hit.
What This Means for L.A.
The Lakers lost LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura in free agency. That’s a lot of floor spacing and veteran leadership walking out the door. So the roster is basically Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and now Kessler, plus whatever minimum contracts Rob Pelinka can cobble together.
Doncic has wanted a lob threat and rim deterrent all season. He got one, finally. But the Lakers are thin everywhere else. No starting-caliber wing depth. No backup point guard. They’re betting that Doncic and Reaves can generate enough offense to cover for a defense that just got a major upgrade in the paint.
Kessler shot 68 percent from the field last season and led the Jazz in defensive rating. He won’t stretch the floor. He won’t create his own shot. But he will clean up mistakes, finish lobs and make drivers think twice. That’s exactly what a Doncic-led team needs.
The team has not confirmed the deal, but the league office is expected to sign off within 48 hours. More details will come out as the contract language gets finalized.
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