Walker Kessler had 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, nine rebounds, one block and one steal in his first game for the Lakers, Tuesday, Oct. 13. He played only in the first half of L.A.’s 101-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was his first NBA game since Oct. 31, 2025, when he played for the Utah Jazz. That was 347 days earlier. He then had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in November.
Kessler started at center and played just under 16 minutes, all in the first half. He also had an assist and made three of his four free throws. All 11 points came from four two-point baskets and three free throws. He had missed the first three preseason games after he jammed his left pinkie finger on the backboard while attempting to block a shot early in training camp. Luka Dončić sat out for rest.
The Lakers got Kessler from Utah in a summer 2026 sign-and-trade. They gave up two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps, and signed him to a four-year, $130 million contract. After the game, Kessler said “Before the game I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest.” He also said his rhythm and game sense would come back as he played more. Coach JJ Redick praised his rebounding “in traffic” and said “He protected the rim.”
The Shoulder Matters More Than the Line
This was one half of a preseason game, and the Lakers were missing five players, so it doesn’t show what Kessler will produce in the regular season. What it does show is the thing the $130 million deal depended on.
A center who played five games in 2025-26 because of a shoulder injury went after rebounds in traffic and drew contact. He took four free throws against six shots, and the shoulder gave no sign of trouble.
The halftime score points to how much the Lakers may lean on him. They led the Warriors 63-50 at the break, then got outscored 51-26 in the second half, which Kessler sat out. Redick noted the Warriors had two offensive rebounds at halftime; they had 13 in the second half.
That one game suggests the Lakers’ rebounding depends heavily on Kessler being on the floor, and that makes his health the biggest question for the team.
Denver on Friday, Then the Warriors Again
The Lakers end the preseason Oct. 16 vs. Denver, and that should be Kessler’s first game alongside Dončić. Then they open at home against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Oct. 21. That game will be the first real test of whether he can play more than one half and keep this up.
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