The Los Angeles Lakers are adding a big man to their roster, landing center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade arrangement that comes with a brand-new four-year, $130 million contract, according to multiple reports.
Kessler, who entered free agency as a restricted free agent, traveled to Los Angeles to sit down with team president Rob Pelinka when the NBA’s free agent moratorium lifted on Wednesday.
According to ESPN, the deal sends draft capital back to Utah, where CEO Danny Ainge has long been eager to stockpile future picks. The Jazz are expected to receive two unprotected first-round selections — in 2031 and 2033 — along with first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
The 24-year-old Kessler stands 7 feet tall and brings both athleticism and agility to the floor, making him a threat as a defender and in pick-and-roll situations. He carries a career field goal percentage of 68.1% and averaged 2.4 blocks per game during his time with Utah. Last season, he appeared in 58 games, putting up 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per contest. A shoulder injury had limited him to just five games the season before.
Kessler originally came to the Jazz from the Memphis Grizzlies, who had selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Auburn University.
The Lakers’ busy free agency period didn’t stop there. The team also reportedly came to terms with big man Sandro Mamukelashvili and guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton.
Mamukelashvili, 27, is set to sign a four-year, $52 million deal that includes a player option on the final year, per ESPN. He put up 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds across 80 games — including 13 starts — with the Toronto Raptors in 2025-26.
Grimes, 26, agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract with a player option, ESPN reported. He averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 75 games for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2025-26, making 19 starts.
Sexton, 27, inked a two-year, $19 million deal, according to multiple reports. He split last season between the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls, averaging 15.4 points and 3.3 assists across 68 games with 22 starts.
