Looks like the Lakers got their franchise middle.
They wanted a bastion down low. They listened to Luka Dončić when he said he wished Walker Kessler. Rob Pelinka gambled everything to get him.
In his first two video games?
Kessler is making Doncic look like a expert scout. And he’s making Pelinka look like a man with good job safety.
Los Angeles Lakers middle Walker Kessler, left, shoots as LA Clippers middle Brook Lopez defends during the second half of an NBA basketball sport Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The 7-foot-1 middle, whom the Lakers acquired over the summer season in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz, had 22 factors on 10-for-14 capturing, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocked pictures 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 courtroom.
That adopted a 26-point efficiency on 12-for-12 capturing, 9 rebounds, one help and two blocked pictures in his regular-season Laker debut against the Warriors on Wednesday.
This is who the Lakers wished. This is who they wanted. This is who could flip them into contenders.
Everyone knew the Lakers’ offense was going to be unbelievable behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But last season, the Lakers ranked twentieth in defensive effectivity. They desperately wanted to enhance.
So, the Lakers gave the Jazz two first-round picks and two first-round choose swaps to purchase the 25-year-old Kessler, signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal.
It was a danger.
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.
So far, so nice.
In his debut against the Warriors, he was the first Laker since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot 12-for-12 in a sport. And against the Clippers, he turned the eighth Laker to file six blocks and three steals in a sport, 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 so appealing to us was because of his age and feeling like the fit with our two stars was really good. And [he’s] someone that can continue to grow and become just a fantastic player in the NBA.”
LA Clippers guard Kris Dunn, left, drives toward the basket as Los Angeles Lakers middle Walker Kessler defends during the second half of an NBA basketball sport Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Kessler only performed in 5 video games last season after struggling a torn left labrum that required surgical procedure. After lacking an whole season of his prime, there were a lot of questions.
What’s his ceiling? Is he going to stay up to expectations? Was he actually value the huge worth the Lakers paid for him?
Memories are quick in the NBA, particularly when a player misses 77 video games. But Kessler is silencing his doubters.
“Oh, it’s so much fun,” Kessler said of being back on the courtroom. “It’s so much fun. It was definitely a tougher year for me. But God is faithful. And just to be here now, I’m just so thankful. So thankful for this opportunity. So thankful to be healthy. Just very, very thankful.”
The Lakers want Kessler to develop into an All-Defensive-type player. They want him to full their Big 3 alongside Doncic and Reaves. They want him to be a drive.
He’s checking these bins.
After the rating was knotted at 64-64 at halftime, Kessler took over in the third quarter with his protection, serving to the Lakers lead by as much as 14 factors in the interval.
“It just felt like Walker was everywhere in that third,” Redick said. “…There were multiple times [in the game] where it felt like they had a layup and he either came over and blocked the shot or created an altered shot.”
Kessler’s next sport will meld his future with his previous as the Lakers journey to Utah to face the Jazz.
For Kessler, it’s a return to where he spent the first 4 seasons of his profession.
“I’m so excited to compete against those guys,” he said. “Coach [Will] Hardy does a great job with that franchise and my past teammates are really talented, really competitive. So I think it’s going to be a very competitive game and I’m just excited to go compete.”
But for the Lakers, it’s a reminder of how far they’ve come.
They emptied their treasure trove for Kessler.
And so far, every choose they gave Utah was value who they got in return.
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