Luka Doncic’s Bargain Deal Made the Lakers’ $130 Million Bet on Walker Kessler Possible

The Los Angeles Lakers lost LeBron James this offseason. That part of the story is done. What happened next might matter more than anyone expected.

The Lakers didn’t rebuild quietly. They kept Austin Reaves, traded for Luka Doncic in February, and then signed Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract through a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz. That deal cost the Lakers two first-round picks and two first-round swaps. That’s a lot for a center who played five games last season because of a shoulder injury.

But here’s the thing the front office was thinking, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. The Lakers were confident enough to overpay for Kessler because they got Doncic on what Stein described as “favorable terms” from the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers only gave up one future first-round pick in that trade. That gave them room to spend big elsewhere.

“I’m told that the Lakers were emboldened to go to such lengths to acquire Kessler in large part because they acquired Luka Doncic from Dallas on such favorable terms in February 2025,” Stein wrote on his Substack.

The team also promised Doncic a top-flight center back when he signed a three-year, $165 million extension last summer. That promise came due now. Kessler, at 24, is supposed to be that guy.

He averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks before the injury. Solid numbers. But the real reason the Lakers threw that much money and those picks at him is the fit. Doncic has a history of making big men look better than they are — lob threats and pick-and-roll partners feast when he’s handling the ball. Kessler projects as exactly that type of player.

A couple things worth noting. Jaxson Hayes is gone to the Jazz. Deandre Ayton is out in Washington. The Lakers have Kessler as their starting center, and they need him to stay healthy.

On a personal note, Kessler got engaged to girlfriend Abbie Stockard earlier this month. That might not change his jump shot, but guys playing with something outside the game going right sometimes play looser.

The Lakers are betting that Kessler becomes the best two-way big man Doncic has ever played with through nine NBA seasons. That’s a high bar. But the front office figures they saved enough assets on the Doncic trade to justify swinging for it.