Woike: Mitchell Robinson was Lakers' fallback for Walker Kessler

Robinson instead joined Boston for three years and $47.4M

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 301 min read

What happened: Los Angeles completed its preferred plan by acquiring Walker Kessler from Utah. Mitchell Robinson left New York for Boston on a three-year, $47.4 million contract with a player option in the final season.

Why it matters: The contingency shows Los Angeles prioritized adding a starting center alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Landing Kessler kept the Lakers from competing with Boston for Robinson in free agency.

By the numbers: Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 72.3% from the field in 2025-26.

What to watch: Training camp will offer the first look at Kessler's fit with Doncic and Reaves ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Sources

Yahoo NBA 2026-07-30T20:48:34.900340+00:00

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NBAAnalysisLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzNew York KnicksMitchell RobinsonWalker Kessler

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Woike: Mitchell Robinson was Lakers' fallback for Walker Kessler

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