Walker Kessler is exactly who the Lakers needed

Looks like the Lakers got their franchise center. 

They needed a bastion down low. They listened to Luka Dončić when he said he wanted Walker Kessler. Rob Pelinka gambled everything to get him. 

In his first two games?

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Kessler is making Doncic look like a skilled scout. And he’s making Pelinka look like a man with good job security. 

Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler, left, shoots as LA Clippers center Brook Lopez defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

The 7-foot-1 center, whom the Lakers acquired over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz, had 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocked shots and three steals in the Lakers’ 125-117 win over the Clippers on Friday. 

He had the highest plus-minus (+18) of anyone on the court. 

That followed a 26-point performance on 12-for-12 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots in his regular-season Laker debut against the Warriors on Wednesday.

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This is who the Lakers wanted. This is who they needed. This is who could turn them into contenders. 

Everyone knew the Lakers’ offense was going to be incredible behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But last season, the Lakers ranked 20th in defensive efficiency. They desperately needed to improve.

So, the Lakers gave the Jazz two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to acquire the 25-year-old Kessler, signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal. 

It was a risk. 

It meant they wouldn’t have any tradable first-round draft picks for the next seven years. It meant Kessler would make or break this Laker team. 

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So far, so great. 

In his debut against the Warriors, he was the first Laker since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot 12-for-12 in a game. And against the Clippers, he became the eighth Laker to record six blocks and three steals in a game, according to Stathead.

“He’s a fantastic basketball player and I think he’ll continue to get better,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I mean, that was one of the reasons that we wanted him and he was…

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Publish date : 2026-10-24 16:30:00

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