The Los Angeles Lakers wagered two unprotected first-round picks, two pick swaps, and $130 million on Walker Kessler being the starting center of the future. Lucas Johnson of FanSided.com recently ranked Kessler as the worst signing of the 2026 period of free agency. Dan Woike of The Athletic proved as much with a recent report that even rival scouts and executives are questioning the Lakers' plan after signing Kessler. Though the concerns are legitimate, the criticism that the Lakers have received ignores the simple context that they needed Kessler more than they needed to be cautious. Per Woike's aforementioned report, the Lakers' top target after Kessler was Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year, $47,388,600 contract with the Boston Celtics.