Kessler's 2025-26 season lasted all of five games before a torn labrum in his left shoulder required season-ending surgery in early November. While a small sample, the big man appeared to be more comfortable behind the arc, going 6-for-8 from deep after converting just 11 of 56 attempts across his first three seasons. The lost season also scrambled his contract situation, as Kessler hit restricted free agency without getting a chance to prove his worth, and the saga ended with a change of scenery via a sign-and-trade to Los Angeles. Kessler landed a four-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers, who sent Utah two unprotected first-round picks and two swaps. Kessler graduated from a perennially tanking situation to a win-now roster, and screening for Luka Doncic is arguably the best job in basketball for a lob-catching, rim-running center. Doncic's gravity should produce a steady diet of point-blank finishes, which plays directly into the elite field-goal percentage that has anchored Kessler's value since his rookie year. Over his first three seasons in the league, he averaged 9.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks on 68 percent shooting in 25.4 minutes per game. Kessler ranked second in blocks (2.4) and fifth in rebounds (12.2) per game in 2024-25, and the Lakers have no frontcourt competition to threaten him from playing career-high minutes. Like a lot of centers, he's a liability at the line (54.5 percent in his career) and offers little in assists. His health and availability are also now concerns, as his regular-season appearance total has dropped each year as he plays more minutes, and his track record now includes a major surgery. Kessler said in July that he has been medically cleared and his shoulder feels strong, so he should be ready from the jump, but he's yet to log a full season while playing starting-level minutes. While there are obvious red flags, Kessler's potential upside with his new team is too tantalizing for him not to be taken in the top-50 picks of all drafts.