Former Lakers champion lists Walker Kessler as key piece difference maker for 2026 season

The 2026 Los Angeles Lakers will be a new era for the team, as they will look vastly different after a busy offseason that has been built around Luka Dončić, with hopes of winning an NBA title for the 18th time in franchise history.Robert Horry, who helped win three of the Lakers’ five titles in the 2000’s said he believes top free-agent acquisition Walker Kessler will be the difference-maker this season.“When you watch what Walker Kessler brings to the game, he’s so incredibly skilled and we haven’t had a big since AD that can block shots like that, pop out for threes,” Horry said.“So I just hope he stays healthy — Him missing damn near all season, how much rust has he developed?”During his first three seasons in the league, Kessler was emerging as one of the best big men in basketball as he was coming off a 2024-2025 season where he averaged a career-high 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.7 assists, and 11.1 points per game.Last year, Kessler was already putting up similar production, but his season would quickly come to an end after suffering a torn labrum injury.“So it’s going to be really interesting to see what he can do because he is the key.

Not Luka, not AR, he is,” Horry said.When the offseason began, Dončić had one request to the Lakers front office, and that was finding him a big man.The Lakers granted his wish when they acquired Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal that featured them trading away two unprotected future first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps, including a four-year, $130 million contract extension that will pay him $30.1 million next season.With a potentially healthy Kessler on the Lakers roster this year, it will be a new Lakers trio that will feature him, Dončić, and Austin Reaves....