Walker Kessler is entering his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers with a considerably higher place in ESPN’s NBA rankings.
The center landed at No. 73 in ESPN’s NBA Rank list released Tuesday, up from No. 98 a year ago. His 25-spot climb comes as the panel evaluates players’ expected contributions during the 2026-27 regular season.
In the accompanying entry, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin identified Kessler’s prospective partnership with Luka Doncic as a reason for the higher placement. Kessler appeared in just five games for Utah during the 2025-26 season because of a left shoulder injury that required surgery.
“Kessler’s potential fit alongside Luka Doncic has him vaulting 25 spots on the NBA Rank list, despite playing just five games last season,” McMenamin wrote. “The surgically repaired torn labrum in Kessler’s left shoulder didn’t discourage the Lakers from trading unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 to pry the 7-2 center from the Jazz. L.A. inked Kessler to a four-year, $130 deal, banking on him to anchor the defense while providing Doncic an ideal lob partner.”
That makes the ranking an endorsement of what the pairing could become. The Lakers still have to turn that potential into a productive combination on the court.
Why the Luka Doncic fit matters for Walker Kessler
The offensive opportunity starts with the decisions a defense would face when Kessler screens for Doncic.
If the opposing center steps toward the ball, Kessler could have room to roll toward the basket. If that defender stays back to take away the pass, Doncic could use the space to pursue his own shot. The timing of the screen and roll would help determine whether either opening lasts long enough to exploit.
Kessler would not need possessions designed around him creating a shot off the dribble to contribute in that action. Setting a useful screen, presenting a clear passing target and finishing the play could make him valuable without taking the ball out of Doncic’s hands for long stretches.
The other three players would influence how much space that partnership gets. An opponent willing to leave a perimeter shooter could bring another defender toward the lane, narrowing the window for a pass to Kessler.
That is part of the trade-off explored in the Lakers’ potential closing role for Matisse Thybulle. A lineup’s perimeter defense and offensive spacing have to work together, and a promising two-man combination still needs the right responses around it.
There would be similar responsibilities at the other end. When Kessler moves toward a driver, a teammate has to account for the space he leaves behind. For the Lakers, a difficult shot would only become a completed stop once they secure possession.
Those are the kinds of details that would make the projected fit meaningful beyond a collection of lob finishes.
What ESPN’s rankings change does — and doesn’t — tell us
There is another reason to put the year-over-year comparison in context: ESPN changed its voting process. This year’s list combines seven panelists’ individual rankings, replacing a system involving more than 100 voters. The focus on forecasting the regular season remained.
The jump is therefore a useful sign of expectations, but it cannot establish how much Kessler’s own game has changed. It also offers no guarantee about how the Lakers would fare in a particular playoff matchup.
For Los Angeles, the more useful test will be whether the partnership works repeatedly against different coverages. Can Kessler create a passing window when the first action stalls?
Can the surrounding players punish extra help? Can the group defend the next possession without conceding an easy opportunity elsewhere?
ESPN’s ranking gives Kessler an encouraging starting point. His opportunity with Doncic will be judged by how consistently those possessions produce results.
