Restricted free agency doesn’t appear to be the most thrilling proposition on the outset, Walker Kessler admitted Monday morning in Las Vegas.
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But in order to switch teams without an offer sheet being matched – only two contracts since the turn of the decade have gone unmatched – leads to sign-and-trade possibilities for highly-sought-after players.
Kessler was one of the restricted stars in free agency – and the Lakers paid mightily, sending two unprotected first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz, a deal that was made official last week, and will see the 7-foot-2 big man as a member of the Lakers through the 2028-29 season on a four-year, $130 million contract with a player option for the final season in Los Angeles.
The commitment to bring the soon-to-be 25-year-old isn’t lost on Kessler, who now teams with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in purple and gold.
“It definitely makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you,” Kessler told reporters at the team’s practice courts in a Las Vegas hotel ballroom on Monday, his first time speaking with the media since joining the Lakers.
“And I think what they’ve invested – they’re showing that belief in a monetary value, not just with money, but … (draft) assets. And for me, I’m somebody that if I know that they have that belief in me, I’m gonna run through a brick wall for them. That’s just how I’ve been wired my whole life and it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there and compete for a team.”
Kessler, who was the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery just five games into the 2025-26 season. On Monday, Kessler said that he’s now “100% cleared” and that his shoulder “feels better than it’s ever felt in my life.”
“Sitting out a whole year definitely puts a lot of things in perspective,” said Kessler, who has averaged 9.5 points and 9.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game during his four-season NBA career. “The heart grows fond in absence. I think falling in love with this game again and just realizing I just want to go win. I just want to play to win.”
New teammates Collin Sexton and Reaves are also familiar faces for Kessler.
Sexton, who played for the Jazz for three seasons from 2022 to 2025, said Kessler has the right mindset for the Lakers. During three-on-three practice runs on Sunday, Sexton said he already felt that he and Kessler had “locked in” once again with their chemistry on the court.
“He’s one of those people that’s very competitive, and I feel like the culture here is trying to bring good guys in who are ready to compete each and every night and give it their all,” Sexton told reporters on Monday. “So, me and Walker, we have built a really good relationship over the past maybe four or five years.”
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Reaves, on the other hand, played with Kessler on the United States national basketball team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Kessler joked with reporters on Monday that he was jealous of Reaves’ golfing ability – the Lakers guard played at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, over the weekend – adding that he’s “horrendous at golf.”
“He’s a big, goofy dude that just enjoys life and has fun,” Reaves told reporters of Kessler on Monday. “Obviously you see what he does basketball wise and how he impacts the game. He’s good defensively, good in the pocket. Just a smart player. So I’m happy to have him on the team and get to play with him.”
Before suffering his torn labrum in November, Kessler had averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in five games for the Jazz. He hopes to return to those numbers, he said, adding that he just wants to go out on the court and win after joining the Lakers.
It was no secret that Doncic wanted a star center to join the Lakers over the offseason.
Kessler fits the bill. The way the Lakers are currently assembled – after trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks – Kessler will start at center with Kevon Looney as his direct backup. Sandro Mamukelashvili is also expected to rotate in at the five, as he’s done throughout his NBA career.
Kessler told reporters that Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed interest in Kessler improving his 3-point shot, becoming more of a stretch-five option on the floor and making opposing scouting reports against the Lakers more difficult to prepare for. Kessler averaged more than one attempt from beyond the arc in the five games he played last season, but has only made 26.6% of his 64 attempts from 3-point range in his career.
“Coach JJ is obviously hyper intelligent,” Kessler told reporters. “Obviously, being a shooter himself, we’ve talked about it and he wants me to be able to do that.”
But when it comes to playing alongside Doncic, Kessler said he’s excited for how the Slovenian star’s abilities will open up the floor for himself and his teammates in the season ahead.
“He has such a big presence on the court, it makes every guy, all four guys around him, it just makes it a lot easier for them to do what they need to do,” Kessler told reporters. “What I can do for him is obviously play defense for him, set great screens. Get him some assists. It’s gonna be gonna be a lot of fun. I’ve never played with a point guard of that kind of size and stature to where he’s just a matchup nightmare. So it’ll be a lot of fun.”
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