Will The Lakers’ Bet On Walker Kessler Pay Off?

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Walker Kessler.

Heading into the summer, the top item on the Lakers’ to-do list was to find the big man of the future.

Multiple attempts at make-do options left the team wanting more by season’s end. Patchwork solutions for a position so vital with Luka Dončić on the roster would no longer suffice, so the Lakers had to make their move.

After some deliberation or bluffing — or a mix of both — Walker Kessler was the center the team pulled the trigger on, paying a premium for a big man with still lots of questions surrounding him.

It was a bet on what Kessler could become, both alongside Luka and in a bigger role. It’s a bet the Lakers can’t afford to be wrong about either. No player on the roster has more pressure on them to perform this season than Kessler. A haul of draft picks sent out and a big new contract with his signature puts him squarely in the spotlight and at the center, figuratively and literally, of the Lakers’ future.

What is his best-case scenario?

It turns out the franchise focused entirely on losing games in recent seasons wasn’t the best place for young players to thrive.

Given freedom and direction while being empowered by the franchise, Kessler blossoms. While he isn’t a high-flying lob-catcher, his crushing screens and finishing around the rim are more than enough to make him a positive offensive force.

But his biggest value will come on the defensive end where he anchors a team that has sorely needed one. In the post-Anthony Davis era, the Lakers have cycled through many bigs, none of which could protect the rim.

Kessler comes in and provides head coach JJ Redick with a solution on that end of the floor, which gives the Lakers a margin for error that hasn’t existed defensively for most of the last two seasons. Gone are the need for switch-heavy or zone defenses, as Kessler can defend the interior and, nearly equally important, help finish possessions with rebounds.

The two aspects of his game that few question are his ability defensively and his rebounding. Those are two areas the Lakers struggled last season and are welcome additions this year.

Add it all up, and Kessler’s performance not only establishes him as the team’s center of the future, it also solidifies the Lakers as a contender on the rise.

What is his worst-case scenario?

Given a bigger role with bigger expectations, Kessler isn’t able to meet the moment.

Offensively, his inability to be an above-the-rim finisher and his overall lack of athleticism mean he never quite clicks with Luka in the pick-and-roll. Akin to Deandre Ayton last season, while there are moments of success, the chemistry never really clicks between the two, which is paramount for the future of the franchise.

Defensively, it’s all a bit too much for Kessler. Tasked with leading a defense of a contending team, Kessler is unable to be the anchor the team needs. Instead of elevating players around him on that end, he still needs talent around him to make an impact.

Overall, it all feels like he’s been put in a role that’s too big. Making the jump from one of the worst teams in the league to the spotlight of playing in LA will challenge any player and Kessler is no different.

The threat of injury could factor into any player’s worst-case scenario, but it’s something that already has slowed Kessler in the past.

Obviously, his 2025-26 season was cut short after just five games due to an injury. He played 58 games in the 2024-25 season due to some late-season injuries/tanking. It’s enough of a track record that no one would be surprised if it popped up again this season, even if it would still be disappointing.

What is his most likely role on the team?

Assuming health, it feels like there’s a decent floor from Kessler this season, particularly defensively. He should be able to stabilize the Lakers on that end, letting them be more aggressive and rely less on gimmicky defense like zones or heavy switching.

Offensively, Luka can make just about any center look viable. Kessler will need to build that chemistry not just with him, but with Austin Reaves. Much of his potential impact depends on that and if it comes, he also has a relatively high floor because he can finish what will be easy buckets around the rim.

Bringing in Kessler was a gamble, but the Lakers had a long time to calculate it. They chose him over Jalen Duren this summer, so the team clearly sees something in him.

If they’re right, it catapults them into the future. If they’re wrong…let’s just hope they’re right.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.