Walker Kessler had multiple ways to view an unfortunate situation.
After suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury last October, the then 24-year-old center for the Utah Jazz could’ve felt robbed. He could’ve felt angry. He could’ve felt worried about his future.
Instead, he chose to tell himself a different story.
“It was tough, but I think it’s always important to remember things happen for a reason,” Kessler said at Lakers practice Sunday.
“And I think that with the absence of basketball, my longing to play basketball grew even more to where I’m gonna be playing with so much joy that I’ve played with in a long time because I’ve never sat out for a whole season.”
Things have worked out for Kessler.
The Lakers acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal with Utah in July, sending two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz and signing Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.
So, he went from playing for a team that missed the playoffs the last four seasons and is trying to rebuild to a team that views anything short of a championship as a failure.
The Lakers really believe in Walker. They mortgaged their future for him. They don’t have any tradeable first-round draft picks over the next seven years.
“He’s a guy that I’ve followed since his rookie year,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Sunday. “We played against him my rookie year coaching and [he’s] somebody that I had identified a long time ago [as] somebody that I loved to have in a Laker uniform at some point.”
Kessler now has the opportunity of a lifetime.
He’s playing for one of the league’s premier franchises. He’s sharing the court with Luka Dončić, one of the top-four players in the NBA. He has said multiple times that he’s ready to run through a wall for the purple and gold.
The Lakers have yet to see Kessler in uniform, though.
He jammed his finger against the backboard during training camp and has been sidelined for all three of the team’s preseason games. He’s questionable for Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Warriors.
Redick said Walker participated in live action drills at Sunday’s practice, but added that he’s “not willing to commit” to whether Walker will make his preseason debut Tuesday or in the Lakers’ final exhibition Friday.
Kessler joked that he blocked some shots with his wrapped up pinky finger, smiling while showing reporters how he moved it out of the way.
He’s eager to get on the court.
Kessler wants to establish himself as the anchor alongside a defense he has referred to as “nasty.” He wants to build chemistry alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves as a member of the Lakers’ Big 3. He wants to do what he loves again.
So, sitting out these last three preseason games for what he referred to as precautionary reasons has been tough.
“I think it would be a little different if I played last season, but because I didn’t play last season, I’m like, ‘Ah, I want to play really bad,'” Kessler said. “I’m ready to play, but I trust the staff and I trust the trainers, the coaches, and front office, you know? So yeah, just listening to them right now.”
Kessler is being patient.
He’s considered one of the league’s elite rebounders and rim protectors. He missed a season during his prime. Really, his ceiling is unknown at this point.
During the 2024-2025 campaign, he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. He contested 7.5 shots per game at the rim, tying him for fifth-most in the league, according to NBA.com.
The Lakers are going to need even more from him.
They’re going to need him to transform into an All-Defense-type player. They’re going to need him to be a beast in the paint. They’re going to need him to put on a show catching lobs from Doncic.
Kessler is ready.
He’s waited a year for this moment.
And he’s choosing to believe that his long layoff will make him even more ready for this moment.
“It depends on how you look at it,” Kessler said, “you can always look at a positive outcome for some situations. So, that’s what I’m choosing to do.”
