Since the Lakers acquired Luka Dončić, they’ve been trying to find an elite center to pair with him.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers feel this is the big of the future.
Kessler was one of the most coveted restricted free agents this season. The reasons why are obvious.
He is an elite defensive big and a walking double-double, which is why the Jazz certainly didn’t trade him for nothing. The Lakers had to give up their 2031 and 2033 first round picks, along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. Add in that this is a four-year, $130 million deal, and it’s clear that this is an all-in move by the Lakers front office.
However, given LeBron James’s departure, the price is perfectly fine if it secures the center position for the future and keeps Luka and Austin Reaves happy. Kessler is an elite rim protector who will clean up a lot of LA’s defensive mistakes. During his four seasons with the Jazz, he averaged 2.4 blocks per game.
Last year, the Lakers had a defensive rating of 115.5, which was 20th in the NBA. That will likely improve with Kessler on the floor.
Offensively, Kessler is a consistent scorer and will be a good pick-and-roll partner for Reaves and Dončić. Kessler’s scoring has increased each year, and now with two elite guards feeding him the ball, it’s almost guaranteed this will be a career year scoring-wise for him.
So yes, the price was steep, and the consequences if it doesn’t work will be as well. But this is exactly the kind of move that can place the Lakers near the top of the Western Conference.
