Walker Kessler climbed 25 places in ESPN’s annual NBA player rankings after spending almost the entire previous season recovering from shoulder surgery.
That was enough to make Tim MacMahon pause.
ESPN ranked the Los Angeles Lakers center No. 73 entering the 2026-27 season, up from No. 98 a year ago. Kessler made the jump despite appearing in only five games before a torn labrum in his left shoulder ended his season.
“Such is the benefit of the Lakers limelight, I guess,” MacMahon wrote while identifying Kessler’s rise as the most surprising part of the rankings.
The skepticism was understandable. Kessler has not yet played a regular-season game for the Lakers, and his most recent body of work amounts to five starts. Yet ESPN’s panel placed him ahead of several players who spent last season proving their value rather than rehabilitating an injury.
Lakers Made an Expensive Bet on Walker Kessler
Kessler’s ranking reflects what the Lakers believe he can become next to Luka Dončić more than anything he accomplished last season.
Los Angeles traded unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030, to acquire Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade. The Lakers then gave the 7-foot-2 center a four-year, $130 million contract.
That is a franchise-altering investment, particularly for a team whose future draft flexibility was already limited. MacMahon acknowledged the potential upside of pairing Kessler with Dončić, arguably the league’s most dangerous pick-and-roll creator, but placed the responsibility squarely on the center to prove the gamble was justified.
Kessler understands what is attached to the transaction.
“If I know they have that belief in me, I’m going to run through a brick wall for them,” Kessler said during his introductory news conference.
Kessler Gives Luka Dončić an Ideal Running Mate
The basketball logic behind the Lakers’ move is difficult to dismiss.
Kessler has averaged 2.4 blocks over his career, trailing only Victor Wembanyama since entering the league in 2022. He is also a career 68.1% shooter, with most of his offense coming around the rim.
Those strengths fit cleanly alongside Dončić. Kessler can screen, dive toward the basket and finish lobs without demanding touches. Defensively, he gives the Lakers the interior deterrent they lacked while building the roster around their new franchise centerpiece.
ESPN projected Kessler to average 11.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this season. Reaching those numbers would provide a reasonable explanation for his climb to No. 73.
First, he must remain healthy. Kessler said in July that his surgically repaired shoulder had been fully cleared and felt strong and mobile.
The Lakers did not pay for the player who appeared in five games last season. They paid for the version they believe Dončić can unlock — an elite rim protector on one end and a constant vertical threat on the other.
ESPN’s panel has already given Kessler the benefit of that projection. MacMahon’s point was that the ranking, like the Lakers’ enormous wager, still must be earned.
Lakers Center’s Stunning Top-100 Rise Leaves ESPN Insider Skeptical