The Lakers handed the Jazz two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps over the summer to land center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade deal, then signed him to a four-year, $130 million contract. Two games into the regular season, the 7-foot-1 center is making that price look justified.
On Friday, Kessler put up 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocked shots and three steals in a 125-117 win over the Clippers, finishing with the best plus-minus on the court at +18. That came two days after a regular-season debut against the Warriors in which he scored 26 points on a perfect 12-for-12 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, dished one assist and blocked two shots.
Kessler was the first Laker since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot 12-for-12 in a game. Against the Clippers, he became the eighth Laker ever to record six blocks and three steals in a single game, according to Stathead.
The move was a major bet by Lakers front-office boss Rob Pelinka, made in part because star guard Luka Dončić had said he wanted Kessler on the roster. The trade left the Lakers without a tradable first-round pick for the next seven years, putting enormous pressure on the 25-year-old center to deliver.
That pressure built on top of a lost season. Kessler played just five games last year before a torn left labrum required surgery, leaving questions about whether he could still perform at the level that made him worth such a steep price.
The early returns answer that question. Last season the Lakers ranked 20th in defensive efficiency, a glaring weakness on a team built around the offensive firepower of Dončić and Austin Reaves. Kessler was brought in specifically to fix that.
Against the Clippers, with the score tied 64-64 at halftime, Kessler’s defense sparked a third-quarter surge that pushed the Lakers’ lead to as much as 14 points.
“It just felt like Walker was everywhere in that third,” Lakers coach JJ 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.”
Redick praised Kessler’s overall game and upside.
“He’s a fantastic basketball player and I think he’ll continue to get better,” 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.”
Kessler, for his part, says he’s simply grateful to be back on the floor after a year sidelined.
“Oh, it’s so much fun,” Kessler said. “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.”
Kessler’s next game sends him back to Utah, where he spent the first four seasons of his career before the trade.
“I’m so excited to compete against those guys,” Kessler 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.”
For the Lakers, the trip is a measure of how much they gave up to get him — and, so far, how much they’ve gotten back.
