Lakers trade for Walker Kessler worth steep price and needed to happen

In light of the Lakers’ 35-minute free-agency splurge Wednesday morning, which netted them Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton, and the dissection of each of those agreements, what can’t be overlooked is how the Lakers kicked it all off by filling their biggest need.The Lakers agreed to a blockbuster trade with the Jazz that’ll land them restricted free-agent center Walker Kessler, ending a multiyear saga of attempting to bring the 7-foot-2, 245-pound Kessler to Los Angeles. And the cost to acquire Kessler was steep. A four-year, $130 million contract (an average annual salary of $32.5 million) that’ll pay Kessler around $30.2 million in 2026-27, making him the 10th-highest-paid center in the NBA next season (he’ll likely drop to 11th after All-Star big man Jalen Duren signs his next deal). Two unprotected first-round picks, with the Lakers sending the Jazz their selections in 2031 and 2033.And providing the Jazz with the right to swap first-round picks in 2028 and 2030.Meaning the Lakers won’t have control of any of their first-round picks until 2032, which they can only trade as a pick swap.

They couldn’t outright trade that pick until the day of the 2032 draft because of the “Stepien Rule.”The Lakers also only have one second-round pick (2033) they can include in a trade, providing them with very little draft capital to make other moves if they need to pivot.  California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story And the Lakers, who entered free agency with $52 million in cap space, aren’t projected to have cap space again for the foreseeable future, let alone like they did this summer. Trading for Kessler was costly.And he’s absolutely worth it — a player the Lakers needed to acquire this summer to have any semblan...