- The Lakers have already spent big on Walker Kessler.
- JJ Redick said Kessler was in for about half of Saturday’s practice, but the Lakers still have not set a specific return date for the center, who has missed all three preseason games with a finger injury.
- Kessler’s absence leaves the Lakers trying to answer a basic question without the most useful evidence: what does he look like in game action?
- Kessler jammed his finger during training camp, reportedly on the backboard, and was ruled out of the team’s first preseason game.
- Redick’s update suggested the situation is not being treated as a major concern right now, but the team’s caution has still kept Kessler off the floor through the entire exhibition slate.
- That has made the Lakers’ preseason problems harder to ignore.
- Kessler has already dealt with numerous minor injuries in his career, even though there are no major concerns with his availability right now.
- That history does not change the current diagnosis, but it does sit in the background while the Lakers wait for him to get through a preseason debut that has already taken on outsized importance.
- For now, the Lakers are left with an expensive investment and very little on-court evidence.
Lakers’ Walker Kessler gamble is under review before his first preseason minute
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Sources & Referenced Reporting
- Yahoo Sports, “Lakers still waiting for preseason debuts of Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton,” Oct. 10, 2026.
- New York Post, “Lakers ‘not committed’ to Walker Kessler making preseason debut Tuesday,” Oct. 10, 2026.
- yardbarker.com, “Lakers face instant reality check on expensive Walker Kessler gamble,” Oct. 10, 2026.
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