Walker Kessler’s first meaningful NBA game in nearly a year will come with the Lakers’ starting job, Luka Dončić’s pick-and-roll passes and the weight of one of basketball’s most demanding positions. The 7-foot-2 center is set to open Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles after arriving from Utah as the Lakers’ major frontcourt investment.
| Key Lakers and Kessler figures | Number |
|---|---|
| Kessler height | 7-foot-2 |
| New contract | 4 years, $130 million |
| First-round picks sent to Utah | 2 |
| Additional draft-pick swaps | 2 |
| Kessler’s career-high full-season scoring average | 11.1 points per game |
| Utah wins last season | 22 |
| Jazz losses during Kessler’s four seasons | 221 |
| Lakers championships | 17 |
| Lakers playoff trips in the last seven years | 6 |
Kessler last appeared in a regular-season game on Halloween last year. A recurring shoulder problem worsened, leading to surgery for a torn labrum and ending his season. Now he steps into a Lakers center tradition that includes George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol and Anthony Davis.
“I’m thrilled to be back on the floor,” Kessler said after Tuesday’s practice in El Segundo. “It has been a long time since I played a real NBA game. I’m grateful that this organization gave me the opportunity, especially one with this kind of history.”
Los Angeles paid accordingly. The Lakers sent Utah two first-round selections and two pick swaps in a sign-and-trade, then committed $130 million over four years to a player whose offensive production has yet to reach 12 points per game across a near-full season.
The calculation is about fit more than volume scoring. Dončić has wanted a high-level interior target who can turn his lobs and pocket passes into easy finishes, while also providing a back-line deterrent behind perimeter defenders Dončić and Austin Reaves. Kessler, Dončić and Reaves had limited preseason time together because of minor injuries and cautious workload management, but Kessler’s defensive presence has already registered with the group.
“The paint is basically shut down when he’s out there,” Dončić said.
A new defensive anchor
The Lakers received mostly adequate center play last season from Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, but Kessler offers a more natural rim-protecting profile. Los Angeles won the Pacific Division and reached the second round last spring, though only a small portion of that roster remains around this new core.
Coach JJ Redick sees the upside, while also stressing that the adjustment will not happen overnight. Kessler has never shared the floor with a creator like Dončić, and Redick noted that the former Jazz center has not previously carried the full responsibility of organizing a defense.
Redick said those are roles the Lakers believe Kessler can eventually handle at an All-Star standard, but called his transition a process that will require time.
Kessler arrives after four losing seasons in Salt Lake City, where the Jazz went 22-60 last season. He has made no secret of wanting the pressure that comes with playing for a contender in Los Angeles, where expectations rise quickly around any center wearing Lakers colors.
He attended Dončić’s Lakers debut in February 2025 and recalled the building’s energy as “insane.” Kessler said the fan base brings pressure, but he views that demand as a chance to play for a premier franchise rather than a burden.
“Their belief in me makes me more excited about this season,” Kessler said. “It makes me feel like I’d run through a brick wall for this organization, this team and my teammates.”
Wednesday’s Warriors game will be the first real test of how quickly the Lakers can build that connection. Kessler is returning from surgery, learning a new system and taking over the middle for a team built around Dončić and Reaves. The minutes will matter, but so will every screen, lob finish and contested drive at the rim.
