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2w ago

Lakers Go All In for Walker Kessler as Training Camp Begins

The four‑year, roughly $129–130 million sign‑and‑trade installs Kessler as the starter while his recent shoulder surgery and the draft assets surrendered raise availability and flexibility concerns.

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka (left) and head coach JJ Redick speak to the media, Image 2 shows Austin Reaves says Luka Doncic is one of his best friends and constantly sends golf swing videos as the Lakers enter a new era without LeBron James, Image 3 shows Walker Kessler wearing a Dodgers jersey and cap, raising his fist on the field
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Overview

  • Los Angeles completed a sign‑and‑trade to bring Walker Kessler in on a four‑year, about $129–130 million deal, surrendering multiple unprotected first‑round picks and first‑round swap rights to Utah.
  • Coaches have named Kessler the presumptive starting rim protector and plan to use him close to the basket to enable more drop coverage and less switching on perimeter defenders.
  • Kessler played only five regular‑season games in 2025–26 before season‑ending posterior labrum surgery in his left shoulder, making his health and early‑season availability a central uncertainty.
  • The roster was retooled around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, with Reaves re‑signed long term, but the club enters camp with 16 guaranteed contracts, a logjam for one final roster spot, and limited mid‑term trade capital because of the Kessler price.
  • Training camp opens in late September 2026 with Pelinka and Redick publicly backing the plan, while a pending ownership sale to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner adds organizational uncertainty to what the team must prove on the court.