The Los Angeles Lakers turned heads this offseason when they paid a king’s ransom to acquire restricted free-agent center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz.
While the all-in move has largely been framed as the Lakers’ effort to appease superstar guard Luka Dončić, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the circumstances of the six-time All-Star’s 2025 arrival also played a key role in Kessler’s addition.
Lakers’ ‘Favorable’ Luka Dončić Trade Paved Way for Walker Kessler Acquisition
Dončić’s desire for an “A-list center” was well-documented at the outset of free agency, with potential bids for Kessler and fellow restricted free-agent big man Jalen Duren viewed as uphill battles.
However, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka ultimately presented Utah with an irresistible sign-and-trade proposal for Kessler. The Jazz received unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, while the 24-year-old rim protector landed in an ideal long-term situation with the Purple and Gold.
While some deemed LA’s outgoing draft capital an egregious overpay for a player who has yet to make the playoffs and is coming off a major shoulder surgery, the organization reportedly factored in its previous underpay for Dončić.
The Lakers famously managed to nab the franchise cornerstone from the Dallas Mavericks at the 2025 trade deadline for just Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, to the bewilderment of the NBA world.
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As such, Pelinka and Co. seemingly felt obligated to cash in on their remaining draft resources to build around Dončić after benefiting from Dallas’ asset mismanagement.
“I’m told that the Lakers were emboldened to go to such lengths to acquire Kessler in large part because they acquired Luka Dončić from Dallas on such favorable terms in February 2025,” Stein wrote Sunday.
“As hard to believe as it continues to be nearly 18 months since The Trade was consummated, Dončić was somehow pilfered from the Mavericks with just one unprotected first-round pick in 2029 leaving Lakerland.
“… The trade assets preserved in that heist, in other words, helped nudge the Lakers to a place where they believed they could withstand spending so big on Kessler. They, too, had promised Dončić a top-flight center in the summer of 2026 as far back as last summer, when he committed to sign a three-year, $165 million extension. The Lakers are thus convinced that, pricey as it was to pull off, they have duly delivered the best two-way big man Dončić will have played with through his first nine NBA seasons.”
Despite his relative inexperience, Kessler possesses a valuable skill set as one of the league’s most prolific rebounders and shot-blockers, with room to grow as a lob threat alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves.
With LeBron James out of the picture and the Lakers lacking any tradeable first-round picks for the next seven years, their future will be largely tied to how Kessler performs as the third member of their new Big 3.
If he can return to form as a nightly double-double threat while threatening to lead the NBA in blocks, the deal could age much better than many are anticipating.
