Lakers get their new center. How Walker Kessler, three free agents fit with Luka Doncic
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A day after LeBron James told the Lakers he would take his talents elsewhere for an unprecedented 24th NBA season, the team started rebuilding its roster around Luka Doncic by delivering Doncic’s biggest wish: a new center.
The Lakers will pair Doncic with 24-year-old Walker Kessler after the team agreed to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Utah Jazz, people with knowledge of the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times on Wednesday.
Kessler, who was limited to five games last season because of a shoulder injury, is expected to sign a four-year, $130-million contract with the Lakers, people with knowledge of the situation said.
After addressing their No. 1 position of concern with Kessler, the Lakers worked to fill in the margins with three free agents — center Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes and guard Collin Sexton.
Kessler is a much-needed defensive backstop. The 7-foot-2 center was named the Naismith defensive player of the year as a junior at Auburn and has averaged 2.4 blocks over his NBA career. He was off to a strong start last season in Utah before a season-ending shoulder injury. The previous season, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the league.
Now able to give the reins to the 27-year-old Doncic with James’ departure, the Lakers prioritized a center to complement the superstar guard. But the free agency market was thin at the position. The Lakers found an aggressive way around it.
Kessler was a restricted free agent, but the Lakers threw in nearly every first-round asset they had in addition to digging into their $51 million in salary-cap space to execute the trade. If the Lakers had only presented an offer sheet to the Jazz to lure Kessler away instead of working on a trade, Utah would have had until July 7 to match the offer.
The investment might be worth it.
Kessler is viewed as the “perfect” fit alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, according executives and scouts around the league. He is seen as a very good rebounder, shot-blocker and lob threat, which goes with what Doncic likes to have on his team.
The NBA announced that the salary cap for the 2026-27 season is set at $164.961 million and the tax level is at $200.428 million. The first apron level is $209.015 million and the second apron is $221.686 million.
These are things the Lakers will keep in mind as they build out the rest of their roster, which stands at 13 with a payroll of about $195 million after Wednesday’s flurry of agreements. They can sign up to two more players to standard contracts and one more two-way player.
Mamukelashvili declined a $2.8-million player option with the Toronto Raptors and was rewarded with a four-year, $52-million deal with the Lakers, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Times. Primarily coming off the bench, the 6-9 Georgian power forward averaged 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Raptors last season.
He’s viewed as a solid player who can stretch the floor with his three-point shot and is a decent defender.
Mamukalashvili’s three-point shooting has improved in recent seasons; he shot 38.9% from three-point range last season on 3.7 attempts per game, improving from 37.3% on 2.6 attempts the previous season. The long-range shooting element would stand out in a revamped front line that includes the return of Deandre Ayton, who was the Lakers’ major free-agent signing last year. He exercised an $8.1-million player option after career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (27.2) per game.
The influx of big men pushed unrestricted free agent Jaxson Hayes out of L.A. The 7-footer signed with Utah for two years and $12 million, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Times. Hayes backed up Ayton last season, sometimes finishing games over the beleaguered former No. 1 pick.
Grimes, 26, averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He agreed to a four-year, $60-million contract, a person confirmed to The Times. A former teammate of Doncic’s in Dallas, Grimes is viewed as an offensive threat off the bench.
Sexton agreed to a two-year, $19-million contract, The Times confirmed, after the guard played for the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls last year. The Lakers will be his fifth team in his eight-year career, which began in Cleveland, where he was chosen All-Rookie second team in 2019. He is considered a strong backup point guard, who can add defense and scoring.
After highlighting the oldest player in the league, the Lakers now don’t have a player over 30 years old on their roster.
With two roster spots remaining, the oldest player currently is 28-year-old Reaves. Unrestricted free agents Marcus Smart, 32, and Luke Kennard, 30, agreed to deals with Western Conference foes.
Kennard agreed to a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns. The league’s best three-point shooter was traded to the Lakers last February and gave the team an immediate offensive boost.
Smart, the team’s best defensive player last year, agreed to a two-year, $13-million contract with the Houston Rockets, the team that the Lakers eliminated in the playoffs last season. He declined a $5.4-million player option with the Lakers to test free agency, netting another deal with a player option in the second season.
