Lakers officially sign 7-foot-2 ex-Jazz elite shot blocker after Luka Doncic request
Lakers officially sign 7-foot-2 ex-Jazz elite shot blocker after Luka Doncic request originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Luka Doncic submitted his A-List center request to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season, and the 17-time NBA champions delivered.
On July 1, the Lakers acquired a 7-foot-2 elite shot blocker from the Utah Jazz in a monster sign-and-trade (Los Angeles shipped two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round swaps to the Jazz to make it happen).
On Wednesday, the deal became official.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in exchange for two future first-round picks and two future first-round pick swaps,” the franchise said in a press release.
“At the core of every great Lakers team is a dominant big man,” Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said, according to the press release. “At just 24 years old, Walker Kessler has established himself as one of the elite two-way centers in the game.”
“When the opportunity presented itself to pair a rim-protecting, lob-catching big with our two premier pick-and-roll guards, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, we seized it. Walker will embody the core pillars we value in our players: high character, high basketball IQ, and elite competitiveness as we enter the next era of Lakers basketball. It’s an incredibly proud moment to add someone with Walker’s unique skill set and makeup to our program.”
Kessler, who received a four-year, $130 million contract as part of the sign-and-trade, will get a chance to perform under the spotlight after starting his career with a small-market franchise.
The Auburn product averaged a double–double during his final two seasons with the Jazz (granted, he only appeared in five games in 2025-26 due to a shoulder injury) and recorded 1.8+ blocks in each of his first four NBA campaigns.
Kessler’s near-surefire finishing around the rim, dependable rebounding, and game-changing interior defense result in astronomical expectations for the former first-round pick in a Lakers uniform.
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