The Los Angeles Lakers went into this offseason wanting a substantial upgrade at the center position, to the point of apparently putting it at the top of their wish list. They got that wish when they sent two future first-round draft picks and two picks to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler, who inked a four-year, $130 million contract.
While Kessler will certainly help the Lakers, especially in the defense and rebounding departments, there are plenty of people in the national media who feel L.A. overpaid for him. In the minds of such pundits, L.A. gave up too much draft capital and gave Kessler a contract he cannot possibly justify.
Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports ranked the six worst contracts given out by NBA teams this summer. Other than the four-year, $212.8 million monstrosity the Washington Wizards gave Trae Young, Rohrbach feels the Lakers’ new contract for Kessler is the worst this offseason.
“It’s not just that the Lakers paid Walker Kessler an average annual value of $32.5 million, or about as much as the Miami Heat will pay three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo next season,” Rohrbach wrote.
“It’s that the Lakers sent the Utah Jazz two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps in a sign-and-trade transaction for the right to give an oft-injured center that deal.
“The Lakers gave up four future assets — ones that could be used to better build a roster around 27-year-old superstar Luka Dončić — to acquire Kessler, who averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes over 201 games across four seasons in Utah.
“… The Lakers, as always, are banking on a lot of things going right for them to be able to compete, only now they have given away the assets they might need in the likely event something goes wrong.”
Yes, Kessler has missed some games in his four NBA seasons. But he had a lingering shoulder injury surgically repaired this past season, and it shouldn’t be a problem moving forward. The thinking is also that Utah shut him down late in previous seasons because it was allegedly tanking.
He hasn’t been much of an offensive threat, but he can convert lob passes into easy baskets, and he can run the floor well in transition. He also showed very early signs of developing a 3-point shot in the five games he played last season before undergoing shoulder surgery.
More than anything, Kessler is one of the best shot-blockers and rebounders in basketball. He should have not only a literal impact in both areas, but also an indirect impact. The indirect impact that difference-makers have in basketball simply cannot be measured by numbers or formulas.
The Lakers won’t be championship contenders this coming season. But they appear to have the framework in place to contend for the world title as early as possibly the 2027-28 campaign.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Analyst names Lakers’ Walker Kessler contract second-worst of summer
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
