Report: Luka Doncic pushed Lakers to trade for Walker Kessler

The Lakers didn’t just identify Walker Kessler as their center of the future.

Apparently, Luka Doncic did, too.

According to Iztok Franko of DigginBasketball, Doncic pushed hard behind the scenes for Los Angeles to acquire Kessler from the Jazz, believing the young center was exactly the type of frontcourt partner he wanted.

Franko wrote that people familiar with the situation confirmed Doncic strongly backed the move, even though it ultimately cost the Lakers a hefty package of draft assets.

Los Angeles sent Utah two unprotected first-round picks, in 2031 and 2033, along with first-round swap rights in 2028 and 2030 to complete the sign-and-trade. Kessler then agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers.

It’s a significant investment for a player who has never made an All-Star team. But Kessler has established himself as one of the NBA’s better rim protectors, averaging 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting better than 68 percent from the field during his career.

If Doncic played a major role in making it happen, it’s easy to understand why.

Kessler is an elite lob threat, protects the rim and doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. Those are exactly the types of centers who have traditionally thrived alongside Doncic.

Whether the price proves worthwhile won’t be known for years.

But the Lakers clearly believed pairing Doncic with the defensive anchor he wanted was worth sacrificing a sizable chunk of their draft future.