In the wake of the negativity surrounding what the Lakers had to surrender and the big man’s injury history, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is convinced that Walker Kessler is still a great fit alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Lakers made several significant changes this offseason, with the acquisition of Walker Kessler standing out as their biggest move.

While many remain skeptical of Kessler due to his injury history and what the Lakers gave up to acquire him, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes the big man remains a perfect fit as the interior anchor for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

“[Austin] Reaves and Luka [Doncic] are so good, and there is a reasonable sample size that shows that those guys playing together are going to generate a fair amount of wins even if you have deficiencies elsewhere,” the NBA expert said on his The Hoop Collective Podcast. “When you look at [Walker] Kessler, so many people are going to focus on the cost, on the trade cost. And I do think that we could get into a situation in the next, you know, 6 to 12 months where we say, ‘Boy, if the Lakers had just handled that a little differently, they would be able to do whatever that as part of the opportunity cost.’

“But if you look at the actual fit, it’s a great fit.”

Will Lakers regret signing Walker Kessler?

The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick swap, and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

The deal is a sign-and-trade, in which Kessler inked a four-year, $130 million contract to join LA as a restricted free agent.

Luka Doncic primarily backed the Lakers’ pursuit of Kessler amid his demands of an “A-list” center this offseason. However, the concern is there with regards to the price that LA had to pay and the big man’s recent injury issues

Kessler averaged 14.4 points in over 70 percent shooting with 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.4 steals in the 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, his run was short-lived after playing just five games amid a season-ending shoulder injury in November.

NBA expert Zach Lowe also warned the Lakers that Kessler’s pricey landing could hurt them in the long run and might force them to part ways with Austin Reaves.

Still, despite the negativity surrounding the signing, the Lakers appear confident of having Kessler as their newest franchise center to kickstart the official Doncic era next season.

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