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21 hours ago
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Sometimes, landing high-profile contributors requires franchises to spend more money than they likely anticipated.
In the NBA, such moves are classified as overpays, and they can easily backfire if the contributions are underwhelming. According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the Lakers’ $130 million contract decision earlier this offseason is among the worst overpays thus far.
“This contract (Walker Kessler- four-year, $130 million deal), which includes a player option and 15 percent trade kicker, feels rich for Walker Kessler,” Buckley wrote Friday. “Probably because it probably is. He has never sniffed an All-Star or All-NBA roster. Despite efforts to add an outside shot, his scoring range is limited to the paint.”
“And while he moves well for his size, he isn't the most versatile defender you'll find. He is really good at what does, but does he do enough to justify this kind of commitment? And will he play often enough to do those things after suiting up just 127 times the past three seasons combined?”
“Those are major question marks, surely more than the Los Angeles Lakers would like, considering what they just sacrificed to add him. Because it was more than this rich—though not egregious—contract. What really veered this into overpay territory was what the Lakers had to send to the Utah Jazz to pluck Kessler away as a restricted free agent: unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030—basically all of their draft capital.”
To Buckley’s point, a four-year, $130 million contract combined with several first-round future first-round picks and pick swaps is a hefty price to pay for a center who’s recently experienced injury issues (he only appeared in five games last season due to a shoulder injury) and has yet to receive a significant NBA accolade for his on-court efforts.
It’s almost worth noting that it’s unclear how Kessler will fare in a large market for the first time in his young career (some players shrink under the brightest lights). All that said, it was a well-known fact that the Lakers couldn’t enter the 2026-27 season without a Luka Doncic-approved lob threat.
Los Angeles ultimately answered the bell, pairing Doncic with an athletic, long-armed, big man who should be on the receiving end of countless Doncic-delivered dimes in the foreseeable future (he’s shooting 68.1% from the field through 201 games).
Needless to say, it’ll be fascinating to track the tandem’s partnership in Los Angeles going forward.
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