Kessler’s new contract details revealed: $34.8 million player option in the final year with a 15% trade bonus

On July 3, Beijing time, reporter Sidery disclosed details about Kessler’s new contract. Kessler signed a 4-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers via a sign-and-trade, which includes a 15% trade kicker. The annual salaries are broken down as follows:

2026-27 season: $30.2 million

2027-28 season: $31.7 million

2028-29 season: $33.3 million

2029-30 season: $34.8 million (player option)

Kessler stands 7’1" tall, weighs 245 pounds, and has a wingspan of 7’4". He plays center and is regarded as one of the premier rim protectors among the new generation of NBA players. A five-star recruit in high school, he averaged 5.2 blocks per game as a senior and was named Mr. Basketball in Georgia. In college, he started at North Carolina before transferring to Auburn, where he averaged 4.6 blocks per game in a single season, setting a school record for blocks and earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Selected 22nd overall in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kessler was promptly traded to the Utah Jazz to begin his career. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team, quickly securing a starting role with his dominance around the rim. During the full 2024-25 season, he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, consistently ranking among the top three in the league in block rate. He significantly reduces opponents’ field goal percentage in the paint, creating a no-fly zone under the basket. Offensively, he doesn’t require possession volume, focusing on pick-and-roll dunks, alley-oops, and putbacks, with a career field goal percentage of nearly 68%. However, he lacks self-created scoring ability and an outside shooting game.

During the 2025-26 season, he dealt with a shoulder injury and appeared in only five games, averaging 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. In the 2026 offseason, the Lakers acquired Kessler via a sign-and-trade, sacrificing two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.

At just 24 years old, Kessler serves as the interior cornerstone for the Lakers in the post-LeBron era. He perfectly complements Luka Dončić’s pick-and-roll system and addresses the team’s long-standing weakness in rim protection. However, his durability is a concern, as he has played in less than 60% of regular-season games throughout his career and has never appeared in the playoffs. The Lakers hope he can stay healthy and deliver consistent production, anchoring the team’s offensive and defensive system with elite rim protection and finishing ability to chase an NBA championship.