Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler said after Sunday’s win over the Detroit Pistons that a finger injury he suffered in training camp is still affecting his ability to secure rebounds, according to Ricardo Sandoval of Lakers On SI.
“A lot of it is about hitting the guy first not getting pushed under the rim,” the 25-year-old said. “And I got to do a better job of those balls that I get my hands on securing the ball. but that comes with time. And when my hands get back normal, that’ll be good as well.”
Kessler jammed the finger on his left hand during a training camp practice. The Lakers downplayed it at the time, and though it seemed minor he missed four of the five preseason games, appearing only in the final one against the Denver Nuggets. He has played through a splint since and has not missed a regular-season game.
The injury arrived with an expensive acquisition. Kessler played five games for the Utah Jazz last season before a labrum tear in his left shoulder that required surgery, then entered the 2026 offseason as a restricted free agent.
With the Lakers looking to upgrade at center, Los Angeles signed him to a four-year, $130 million contract completed via sign-and-trade, sending Utah two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. In the Nov. 8 game at Detroit, a 121-116 Lakers win, he finished with 16 rebounds, 12 points and three blocks.
A Finger Issue That Hasn’t Cost Him the Box Score Yet
Kessler’s own description is about contested loose balls and 50-50 rebounds, not availability. The 16 boards came in the same game he made the admission, which is the clearest evidence that the hand has not cut into his workload.
The reason to track it anyway is what the Lakers spent. They gave up two firsts and two swaps for a center who had just had shoulder surgery, and he is now playing through a second problem he says limits him on exactly the possessions his defensive value rests on.
He Is Describing a Nuisance, Not an Absence
Neither Kessler nor the Lakers have offered a recovery timeline, and he continues to start and play heavy minutes. What he has said is narrower than an injury update: the hand is not right yet, and he expects that to resolve on its own rather than against a return date.
Source: Ricardo Sandoval of Lakers On SI
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