Walker Kessler tallies 11/9/1/1/1 in Laker debut

LAL Center #14 Player Stats Walker Kessler made his preseason debut for the Lakers on Tuesday and contributed 11 points (4-of-6 FGs), nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block against the Warriors. Suiting up for the first time as a Laker, Kessler was able to produce at a high level in just 16 minutes. He was able to showcase his fantasy appeal, even with Luka Dončić getting a rest night. That pick-and-roll duo should be excellent for fantasy managers, and Kessler has a chance to finally cash in on the fantasy potential that he showcased during his first two seasons. Top stories for NBA Tip-Off tripleheader Maria Taylor and the guys preview NBA Tip-Off on Oct. 20, discussing their top storylines for each squad to open their season strong. Top stories for NBA Tip-Off tripleheader Now Playing Top stories for NBA Tip-Off tripleheader Maria Taylor and the guys preview NBA Tip-Off on Oct. 20, discussing their top storylines for each squad to open their season strong. 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The 24-year-old center spent the first four years of his career with the Utah Jazz, and is expected to have a large role in Los Angeles. LAL Center #24 The unprotected picks the Jazz will receive are in 2031 and 2033 and the pick swaps are in 2028 and 2030. Kessler will sign a massive four-year, $130 million extension with the Lakers. Los Angeles had been talking with Pistons center Jalen Duren about acquiring him in a sign-and-trade, but the Lakers took action here in completing the deal for Kessler. The 24-year-old center spent the first four years of his career with the Jazz, averaging 9.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. He’s the big winner from this trade from a fantasy perspective if he can stay healthy. The Lakers are now hard capped to the first apron and have no first-round picks to trade. UTA Center #30 While he appeared in just 41 games last season, Nurkić fit well within Jazz head coach Will Hardy’s system when available. The veteran center averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 50.3 percent from the field. How impactful he’ll be next season depends on what happens with Walker Kessler, who is a restricted free agent. If Kessler returns, Nurkić will come off the bench, which lowers his fantasy ceiling. UTA Center #24 Two days after The Athletic reported that Kessler was frustrated with the Jazz front office as free agency approaches, more details emerged regarding the contract offered by Utah. According to MacMahon, Utah proposed an offer worth close to $140 million over five years. However, while this would be the most lucrative contract ever given to a center who had yet to make an All-Star team, there are still hard feelings between Kessler and the Jazz front office. In Monday’s report, Kessler not receiving an extension before the start of the 2025-26 season was cited as a factor, and it’s another issue the two sides will need to work through if they want to move forward as partners. UTA Center #24 Kessler, limited to five games this season after suffering a shoulder injury, will be a restricted free agent on June 30. While the Jazz can match any offer sheet that Kessler agrees to, they can also negotiate with the center before he hits the open market. However, according to Amick’s reporting, Kessler is not pleased with the franchise essentially leveraging his pending restricted free agency against the 7-footer. As a result, he’s reportedly more willing to consider the idea of playing elsewhere. Given the need for rim protectors, there will be a market for Kessler at the end of the month. After not offering him an extension last fall, the Jazz seem content to see what Kessler’s price will be before deciding on his future with the franchise, especially with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. on large contracts. Wherever he plays next season, a healthy Kessler has top-50 fantasy potential, especially for those willing to punt free-throw percentage. UTA Center #30 The veteran center will return from a one-game absence to face the Knicks on Friday. He’s served as Utah’s starting center since Walker Kessler (shoulder) was lost for the season. Nurkić isn’t a high-end fantasy option but has double-double capabilities on a nightly basis. His return could send Kyle Filipowski back to the bench. UTA Center #30 Nurkić flirted with a double-double for the second straight game against the Rockets. On the second night of a back-to-back, he was productive inside the arc as a scorer and set a new season-high in points before fouling out of the contest. Nurkic has filled in the starting unit nicely in place of the injured Walker Kessler (shoulder). He’s got double-double potential on a nightly basis in this new role. UTA Forward-Center #42 After not appearing in Utah’s first five games, Love has hit double figures in minutes in each of his last three appearances. He was productive against the Bulls, hitting double figures and finishing two rebounds shy of a double-double. Love is not in a position where he needs to be considered for any fantasy roster, even after Walker Kessler was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Managers needing production are better off gambling on Jusuf Nurkić, who tallied four points, 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one blocked shot in 38 minutes. UTA Center #24 Kessler is set to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. This is a massive blow for the Jazz, who have started the season out better than expected, but it’s also unfortunate for Kessler since he didn’t get an extension this summer. Jusuf Nurkic has been starting in place of Kessler, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they turned to Kyle Filipowski as a long-term replacement, assuming they don’t explore the trade market. UTA Center #30 Nurkić remained in the starting lineup in place of Walker Kessler (shoulder) for a second straight game, and Kessler is set to miss at least two more games. Nurk’s first start was disappointing, but a double-double in 31minutes is intriguing. With two more starts this week, Nurkić is worth considering as a streaming option, and he is currently available in roughly 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Rotoworld My Favorites SAC Forward #9 Player Stats Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players Precious Achiuwa (ankle) recorded a double-double on Tuesday with 12 points (5-of-15 FGs), 11 rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and two three-pointers in a 110-98 loss to the Trail Blazers. The Kings just can’t keep a backup big healthy. Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf) are both set to miss time, so Achiuwa got the start with Domantas Sabonis getting the night off. Achiuwa exited early with a right ankle injury after having a productive night. If he is also forced to miss the start of the season, Jonathan Mogbo would be next in line to back up Sabonis. POR Guard #1 Player Stats Ja Morant came off the bench on Tuesday and finished with 14 points (4-of-6 FGs, 6-of-9 FTs), two rebounds, six assists and one steal against the Kings. Trail Blazers head coach Micah Nori has been toying with the starting lineup in the preseason, with Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson starting in this game, while Morant and Jrue Holiday came off the bench. Morant was still productive, and it’s clear the four guards will all have a significant role. Morant and Holiday will reportedly start in their next preseason game, and the starting unit for opening night still hasn’t been decided. POR Forward #8 Player Stats Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points (9-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two three-pointers in a 110-98 win over the Kings on Tuesday. If there were concerns about Avdija’s usage with all the changes to Portland’s backcourt, he has addressed those during the preseason. Clearly, he’s still the focal point of the offense. He has averaged 24.5 points in 23 minutes per game through two preseason appearances. It’s a tiny sample size, but Avdija is still going to be a fantasy stud this season and have the ball in his hands a ton. LAL Center #14 Player Stats Walker Kessler made his preseason debut for the Lakers on Tuesday and contributed 11 points (4-of-6 FGs), nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block against the Warriors. Suiting up for the first time as a Laker, Kessler was able to produce at a high level in just 16 minutes. He was able to showcase his fantasy appeal, even with Luka Dončić getting a rest night. That pick-and-roll duo should be excellent for fantasy managers, and Kessler has a chance to finally cash in on the fantasy potential that he showcased during his first two seasons. LAL Guard #15 Player Stats Austin Reaves lit up the Warriors with 28 points (10-of-18 FGs), four rebounds, seven assists, four three-pointers and seven turnovers in a 101-89 loss on Tuesday. This was a little taste of how good Reaves can in fantasy basketball this season. Of course, Luka Dončić was sidelined, which allowed Reaves to score 23 points in just the first half. Dončić will be primary source of offense, but when he’s sidelined, Reaves will see a ton of usage, with the only downside being his turnovers. Reaves will still be productive enough when Dončić is healthy to be worth taking in the second or third round of drafts. GSW Forward Player Stats Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 17 points (5-of-11 FGs, 6-of-9 FTs), five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one three-pointer in a 101-89 win over the Lakers on Tuesday. Lendeborg’s strong preseason continued in this game, though it is worth noting that he tweaked his left ankle in the third quarter. He shot his free throws before exiting and wasn’t limping and was able to return to the game. There’s no reason to think it will impact his status for opening night, where he should be part of the Warriors’ starting unit. GSW Guard #2 Player Stats Brandin Podziemski contributed 17 points (6-of-12 FGs), five rebounds, two assists, one steal and three three-pointers against the Lakers on Tuesday. Podz signed a five-year extension with the Warriors just a few days ago, showing how important he is to their future. He has been solid so far during the preseason and should be an important piece for the Warriors once again this season. Following a rough start to last season, Podz closed the year out well and will look to carry some of that momentum into this season. OKC Guard #3 Player Stats Jared McCain led the Thunder with 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, two assists, one steal and six three-pointers in a 114-112 overtime win over the Pacers on Tuesday. McCain led Oklahoma City in scoring in just 19 minutes in the overtime win. Sam Presti already hyped him up before the preseason began, and he has shown why during the preseason, having now hit 13 triples across three games. When the team is fully healthy, his role will likely be too limited for him to make an impact for fantasy managers, but it should be large enough for him to be an important piece in OKC’s rotation. Aday Mara provided a boost off the bench with 10 points (4-of-5 FGs), four rebounds, one assist and three blocks against the Pacers on Tuesday. Mara came off the bench with Isaiah Hartenstein making his preseason debut, but he was still able to make a solid impact in his 19 minutes. Mara has been productive during the preseason, and with Chet Holmgren (quad) and Jaylin Williams (heel) having been sidelined for the preseason so far, there is a chance Mara ends up playing a large role early on behind Isaiah Hartenstein. It’s a situation worth monitoring with the regular season set to start in just one week. IND Center #40 Player Stats Ivica Zubac recorded a double-double on Tuesday with 13 points (6-of-7 FGs), 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals against the Thunder. Tyrese Haliburton’s performance was incredible, but Zubac’s numbers shouldn’t be overlooked. If this game was an indicator, he should be in for a monster season with Haliburton feeding him the ball. This stat line came in just 18 minutes, making it even more impressive. His sixth-round ADP could end up being a bargain, and he will be vital to the Pacers’ chances of making more noise in the playoffs.