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Lakers pay steep trade price to Jazz to get Walker Kessler on $130 million contract
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- Lakers pay steep trade price to Jazz to get Walker Kessler on $130 million contract
Lakers pay steep trade price to Jazz to get Walker Kessler on $130 million contract appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Los Angeles Lakers have pulled off a massive addition in NBA free agency by agreeing to a sign-and-trade for Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, as first reported by ESPN.
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Since he was a restricted free agent, the Lakers are sending unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, as well as first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, to obtain Kessler's rights and sign him to a four-year, $130 million contract with an annual average value of $32.5 million through the 2029-30 season.
This new deal contains a player option in the final year of the contract and a full 15% trade kicker.
As a result of trading all of this draft capital to Utah, the Lakers are left with no tradeable first-round assets through 2033 and are committed to $475 million in salary between Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Kessler. Reaves signed a new four-year, $185 million max contract with Los Angeles this summer, the biggest deal fo an undrafted player in NBA history.
Although this is a rather steep price to pay for Kessler, a 24-year-old center still developing into a finished product, it had become clear in free agency that the Lakers would be pursuing the top frontcourt talents available in Kessler and Jalen Duren. Los Angeles did not care that both players were restricted free agents, as their goal was to put pressure on their current organizations and make them fold.
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That is what happened with the Jazz, who ended up adding two first-round picks and two future pick swaps by sending Kessler to Los Angeles. The Lakers get the big man they've coveted, and the Jazz continue to stockpile draft assets.
With LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, and Rui Hachimura walking out the door in free agency, the Lakers are starting from the ground up with Doncic and Reaves to completely revamp their roster.
After previously pursuing Kessler on the trade market and not getting the Jazz to budge on their asking price for the young center, the Lakers finally land a huge free agent and a key frontcourt piece Doncic has been asking for.
On the verge of free agency, the Jazz began negotiations with Kessler and his representation, but the two sides were said to be far apart on value. Whereas Kessler wanted a deal exceeding $30 million in annual average value, the Jazz did not appear willing to exceed the five-year, $140 million offer they presented to the former 22nd overall pick in June.
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Still, the Jazz believed that they would retain Kessler as a restricted free agent.
As a result of no deal being reached, Kessler and his agency made it clear they were open to any and all offers to come their way at the start of free agency on Tuesday night. Kessler flew to Los Angeles to be with his representation at the CAA offices, and they held meetings with multiple teams right when free agency officially began.
Along with meeting with Kessler, the Lakers held strong interest in Duren and met with him when the free agency window opened. While they were expected to meet with Duren for a second time on Wednesday, with the belief that he was Los Angeles' top target on the market, the Lakers ultimately finalized this deal with Kessler and the Jazz in the morning.
At 7-foot-2, Kessler immediately becomes the focal point of the Lakers' frontcourt and their center for many years to come. Over the last two seasons with the Jazz, Kessler averaged 11.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. Kessler is also one of the league's best offensive rebounders, as he led the league in this category during the 2024-25 season.
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His ability to contest shots at the rim on one end and be a major threat in pick-and-roll situations at the other makes Kessler the perfect center for the Lakers to have in a system run by Doncic and Reaves, two of the most prolific passers in the game.
Kessler only played in five games during the 2025-26 NBA season with the Jazz after undergoing season-ending left shoulder surgery to repair a labral tear that had been causing him problems. He is expected to be fully healthy for the start of the 2026-27 season.
Related: Grading Lakers' $130 million Walker Kessler sign-and-trade with Jazz
