A lot of assessments of the Lakers’ offseason roster moves were dished out over the summer.
After having multiple months to reflect, franchise superstar Luka Doncic provided his thoughts of the Lakers’ efforts to construct a team around him that they hope will contend for an NBA title.
“I like everybody that we signed,” Doncic said during the team’s Monday media day. “There’s a lot of underrated guys, a lot of new guys that are underrated. Got to spend some time with them obviously off court. Now the training camp is going to help us a lot, focus on basketball, get to know what they like on the court, but I’m very excited to play with all of them.”
The Lakers enter the start of training camp on Tuesday with nine new players.
But none of them are bigger – figuratively and literally – than Walker Kessler, the 7-foot-2 center the Lakers not only signed to a four-year, $130 million contract, but also sent the Jazz unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030 to acquire.
Doncic identified Kessler as a player he wanted the Lakers to acquire.
And the franchise, led by president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka, got the type of big man rim-protecting, lob threat Doncic had been wanting to play alongside since coming to Los Angeles in February 2025.
“I played a lot of games against Walker, so it was always tough to play against him,” Doncic said. “I really wanted him. The organization wanted him, I wanted him, all the players wanted him, so I think it’s an amazing fit for us. Obviously a rim protector, but then offensively he improved so much that he’s going to help us a lot.”
Kessler found himself fitting in quickly.
He recalled receiving his first lob from Doncic during the team’s Doncic-sponsored trip to Slovenia last month.
“I don’t even think he was looking at me, and he kind of just threw it and I was there,” Kessler said. “I mean, I’ve heard a lot of people say that about playing with him. So caught it, dunked it, ran back down, high fived and I was like, ‘yup, I can get used to this’.”
Kessler wasn’t the only significant addition to the Lakers’ roster.
The team also added: Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million), Ziaire Williams (one year, $2.8 million) and Matisse Thybulle (one year, $3.3 million), Cameron Carr (first round draft pick), Kevon Looney (one year, $3.9 million) and Jaden Hardy (acquired from the Wizards).
Sexton agreed with Doncic’s assessment of the roster moves.
“We’re all underrated, if that makes [sense],” Sexton said. “We’re competitors. I feel like we added people that are willing to compete, and we added guys that [don’t] back down to anyone. I know for myself, I’m somebody that’s not gonna back down to any challenge or not gonna back down to anyone.
“Whenever I step between those lines, there’s no friends. It’s us versus them. So I know it can look like we’re underrated [at] times.”
As significant as the Lakers’ additions were, none were more important than the Lakers re-signing star guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $180 million contract.
With LeBron James with the 76ers and no longer with the Lakers, Doncic and Reaves are stepping into more significant leadership roles.
“He improved a lot,” Doncic said of Reaves. “He just talks more to a lot of people. Obviously the new players, they look up to him, asking things. So I think he [took] a big step forward.”
