Lakers reload with Sandro Mamukelashvili, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes
Key takeaways
- 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.
- 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.
- Soon after the Kessler trade Wednesday, the Lakers agreed to terms with three free agents — center Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes and guard Collin Sexton.
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocked shots last season, although he only played five games because of a shoulder injury. (Rob Gray / Associated Press) By Broderick Turner and Thuc Nhi Nguyen July 1, 2026 10:50 AM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
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The Lakers secured their starting center of the future in a massive trade with Utah on Wednesday, agreeing to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz in exchange for 24-year-old Walker Kessler, sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed Wednesday to The Times.