The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason by acquiring Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz, but the move came with a significant long-term cost, Basket News reports. While the deal gives Los Angeles the rim-protecting center it had been searching for, it also leaves the franchise with little flexibility to make another blockbuster move through the NBA Draft.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Lakers no longer control a tradable first-round pick over the next seven years after sending Utah unprotected first-round selections in 2031 and 2033, along with first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. The reported package underscores just how committed the organization has become to its new direction.
Kessler is also expected to sign a four-year, $130 million contract, pushing the Lakers’ long-term investment even higher. As Siegel noted, Los Angeles now has roughly $475 million committed to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Kessler alone, signaling a clear shift toward building around a new core following LeBron James‘ departure.
Lakers Go All-In on New Core
The Kessler acquisition addressed an obvious need in the middle. The 7-foot-2 center has developed into one of the league’s most productive interior defenders since entering the NBA in 2022, averaging 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 1.2 assists while shooting 68.1% from the field over four seasons, Yahoo reports.
His offensive role fits naturally alongside Doncic and Reaves. Kessler thrives as a lob target, finishes efficiently around the basket, crashes the offensive glass, and protects the paint without requiring high usage. Those traits should allow the Lakers’ perimeter stars to remain the focal point while giving the team a dependable defensive anchor.
Still, Siegel pointed out that surrendering two unprotected first-round picks and two swaps represents a steep price for a player who has yet to appear in an NBA playoff game. The move effectively removes much of the draft capital Los Angeles could have used in future trade discussions.
Spending Spree Reshapes Lakers’ Roster
The Lakers did not stop with Kessler.
According to ESPN, Los Angeles also agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract with forward-center Sandro Mamukelashvili. The front office continued its busy offseason by adding guard Quentin Grimes on a four-year, $60 million deal and guard Collin Sexton on a two-year, $19 million contract.
Sexton arrives after finishing last season with Chicago following a trade from Charlotte. Across 26 games with the Bulls, he averaged 17.5 points while shooting 48.2% from the field and 41% from three-point range, per Hoops Rumors. His career 39% mark from beyond the arc gives the Lakers another reliable perimeter shooter to complement their revamped roster.
Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron reported that the Lakers have now “exhausted all their spending power” following their wave of offseason additions. While the organization can still increase payroll through trades, its lack of tradable first-round picks creates a much different challenge if another star becomes available.
The Lakers clearly believe Kessler fills a critical need and strengthens their chances to compete immediately. At the same time, the trade illustrates just how aggressively the franchise has pushed its chips to the center of the table. With so much money committed to its new foundation and few draft assets remaining, Los Angeles has little margin for error as it enters the next chapter of the Luka Doncic era.
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