Lakers acquire Walker Kessler in sign-and-trade

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, sources tell ESPN. Kessler will sign a massive four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers.

BREAKING NEWS Trade summary, per Shams Charania: Lakers get - Walker Kessler Jazz get - 2 first-round picks, 2 first-round pick swaps Kessler to sign 4-year, $130 deal with Lakers.

The new look Lakers: Luka Doncic Austin Reaves Walker Kessler Sandro Mamukelashvili Quentin Grimes Collin Sexton Jake LaRavia Deandre Ayton Jarred Vanderbilt Bronny James Cameron Carr Adou Thiero Dalton Knecht Two open roster spots for veteran minimum signings and about $5.5M under the tax.

Lakers used the bounty they wanted to send for Mark Williams, plus another 1st + swap, to get Walker Kessler. It's a STEEP price to pay but Lakers get him on a good contract. He'll be worth 19.7% of the cap in 2026-27 if it's a flat deal or 17.6% if it's escalating. That's far from 25% rookie max.

Can confirm Jazz are sending Walker Kessler to the Lakers for a picks package that includes unprotected picks in 2031 and 2033, swaps in 2028 and 2030. Also, Jazz will get a trade exception worth half of Walker's first-year salary with the Lakers on his new, four-year $130M deal

i think giving walker kessler that much money is racist

Let out an audible "wow" at the Mitchell Robinson/Celtics news, and then a much louder "WHOA" at the Walker Kessler/Lakers trade

Los Angeles Lakers salary cap situation after sign and trading for Walker Kessler. His contract can start as low as $30.2 million, leaving the Lakers with $23.1 million in remaining cap space. They're now hard capped to the first apron and have 0 first-round picks to trade.

The Lakers just gave the majority of the money they re-cooped from Lebron to Walker Kessler. That's objectively hilarious.

I cannot believe the Lakers gave that up for Walker Kessler

I have a large batch of thoughts in here as the transaction cycle rages on, from Walker Kessler to Mitchell Robinson to Marcus Smart to Mike Conley to Mamu to Vooch ... www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

Walker Kessler cost the Lakers two unprotected firsts and two swaps and they have to pay him 4/130. Zubac trade looking pretty nice today.

BREAKING: #Lakers have found their center after agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Jazz for Walker Kessler. lakersnation.com/lakers-repor...

I don’t know if Walker Kessler is worth any of this, nor is there any evidence that the Jazz are better now than they were then, but he was kind of a random throwaway in this Gobert trade.

I think I’d rather have Keyonte George for the next 4-5 years than Walker Kessler. It’s more in line with where the NBA is going and the formula to beat the Spurs