Walker Kessler welcomes every expectation when Lakers' next big man makes his purple-and-gold debut

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Walker Kessler is well aware of the long, legendary lineage he is joining when he debuts as the Los Angeles Lakers' starting center on Wednesday night.

And as if the pressure of following in the cavernous footsteps of George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol and Anthony Davis wasn't enough, Kessler is also playing competitive basketball for the first time in nearly a full year after missing almost all of last season with a shoulder injury.

This clearly is no ordinary opener for Kessler, but the 7-foot-2 center says he's eager to shoulder the expectations placed upon him when the revamped Lakers host the Golden State Warriors. After beginning his career with four losing seasons for the Utah Jazz, spotlights and expectations are something that Kessler wanted and needed.

“I’m just so excited to get back out there,” Kessler said Tuesday after practice at the Lakers' training complex. “It’s been a long time since I played a real NBA game. As far as the (Lakers) history, I’m just so grateful this organization gave me a chance, and to compete for an organization that has the history it does.”

The Lakers are betting big on Kessler becoming worthy of the lineage he’s joining.

They depleted the majority of their remaining draft capital to get him, dealing two first-round picks and two more pick swaps to the Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal. Kessler’s contract is for four years and $130 million — a healthy sum for a player who has never averaged more than 11.1 points per game in anything approaching a full NBA season.

Los Angeles made the deal because of Luka Doncic’s longstanding desire for an elite center who can finish Doncic’s dizzying array of lobs and feeds while also protecting the rim behind the iffy perimeter defense sometimes played by Doncic and Austin Reaves. Although minor injuries and caution limited the Lakers' new Big Three to only a few minutes together in the preseason, Kessler's new teammates are impressed by his defensive effectiveness so far in practice.

“The paint is kind of closed when he's on the court,” Doncic said.

On paper, Kessler fills every need the Lakers had in the middle last season, when Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes usually provided not much more than serviceable play at center. But asking Kessler to fit in immediately with an entirely new team is a significant challenge, coach JJ Redick acknowledges.

“He’s never played with a player like Luka before,” Redick said of Kessler. “He’s never really been tasked with being the anchor of a defense. These are things that we think he can be (at an) All-Star level, but it’s going to take time. It’s going to be a process with him.”

There’s also the matter of rust: Kessler’s most recent appearance in an NBA game that counted was on Halloween last year. He aggravated a previous shoulder injury and eventually had surgery to repair a torn labrum, sidelining him for the remainder of Utah's 22-win season.

The Jazz lost 221 games in Kessler’s four seasons in Salt Lake City, and he has acknowledged his excitement about moving to a team with a history of 17 championships and a more recent track record of six playoff appearances in the past seven years. Los Angeles is a demanding basketball city, but Kessler says he wants to win as much as any fan.

“I was here for Luka’s opening night (in February 2025), and it was insane,” Kessler said. “The fan base is unreal, and the energy is great. Playing for them, you could place on yourself a little bit of pressure, but I look at it as an opportunity to play for such a great franchise.”

Los Angeles won the Pacific Division and made the second round of the playoffs last spring, albeit with a roster featuring only a handful of the players who will suit up with the new center this week. The new-look Lakers are firmly built around the established offensive brilliance of Doncic and Reaves — but they're also counting on the expected two-way contributions and defensive improvements anchored by Kessler.

“As far as the belief they’ve shown in me, it makes me excited for this year,” Kessler said. “It makes me feel like I can run through a brick wall for this organization, this team, my teammates. I’m just so excited.”

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