Auburn Professional Athletes

Walker Kessler was supposed to be the centerpiece of the Lakers' offseason reinvention. Three preseason games in, he hasn't played a single minute — and Los Angeles is starting to sweat.

The Auburn product, acquired in what sources describe as a seismic sign-and-trade that cost the Lakers two first-round picks and a pair of additional assets, has been sidelined since before the preseason opener with a finger injury. Through three games and a 2-1 record built largely on Luka Dončić's shoulders, the Lakers' marquee acquisition has watched from the sideline — and the optics have not been lost on anyone around the league.

Head coach JJ Redick has tried to keep the temperature down. After the team's third preseason game — a 114-110 win over the Sacramento Kings — Redick publicly eased concerns about the severity of the injury and offered what was characterized as a "promising update" on Kessler's status ahead of the regular season. But Redick also stopped short of committing to a timeline for Kessler's return to game action, leaving his status for the Lakers' remaining preseason games officially up in the air.

The uncertainty has fueled outside criticism. Multiple analysts have issued warnings that the trade could go "horribly wrong" if the investment doesn't pay off, and at least one insider identified rebounding and interior defense — precisely the roles Kessler was brought in to fill — as the team's most visible weakness without him in the lineup. With Kevon Looney serving as the primary backup option at center, questions about the team's depth behind Kessler were already circulating before the injury made them urgent.

Redick, for his part, has not hidden his enthusiasm for what Kessler can bring once healthy. The coach has been vocal about how the former Jazz center fits alongside Dončić as part of a roster built for a championship run in 2026-27. The belief in Kessler's upside is clearly intact — the concern is simply whether he'll be ready when it matters.

For Auburn fans, Kessler's arrival in Los Angeles represents one of the highest-profile landings an Auburn big man has had in recent NBA memory. The pressure that comes with being labeled a franchise cornerstone — a title at least one outlet noted he'd "rather not have" before playing a preseason minute — is real, and it isn't going anywhere.

One More Tiger to Watch

Kessler wasn't the only Auburn alum turning heads this week. Over in Brooklyn, forward Chaney Johnson has quietly emerged as a preseason surprise for the Nets. The sophomore wasn't expected to factor into rotation discussions entering camp, but his training camp performance earned him second-unit minutes in Brooklyn's first two preseason games — and he's made the most of them. Johnson's rise is the kind of under-the-radar development that won't generate Lakers-level headlines, but Auburn fans tracking the full alumni board have reason to pay attention.

The bigger story, though, remains Kessler and the clock ticking toward opening night. The Lakers didn't give up two first-rounders to have their center watching in street clothes. The finger needs to heal — and soon.

Walker Kessler Is the Biggest Bet in the NBA Right Now

Auburn's most talked-about NBA alumnus isn't just on a new team — he's the centerpiece of one of the most polarizing offseason moves in recent memory. Walker Kessler, the 7-foot-2 center who spent his first three NBA seasons in Utah, arrived in Los Angeles this week as a confirmed starter alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, locked into a four-year, $130 million contract after a sign-and-trade from the Jazz.

The price of acquisition was steep. The Lakers surrendered four first-round picks to land Kessler, a move that drew immediate skepticism from analysts who warned the deal could "backfire spectacularly" — particularly given that Kessler played in only five games last season due to a shoulder injury. ESPN's Tim MacMahon has already pumped the brakes on championship expectations, questioning whether Kessler can elevate LA into true title contention in 2026-27.

But inside the Lakers' facility, the energy around the Auburn product has been notably different.

Kessler Isn't Interested in Managing Expectations

At training camp this week, Kessler pushed back hard on the narrative that the Lakers are a defensive liability. "We got a lot of problems this year," wing Jake LaRavia told reporters — but he meant that for opposing offenses. Kessler went further, flatly predicting that Los Angeles will be a "nasty defensive team" and backing it up with early camp film that has impressed his coaches.

Head coach JJ Redick has been candid about why the Kessler acquisition excites him most — the rim protection and defensive anchor the team lacked in recent years. Luka Doncic, meanwhile, reportedly vouched for the trade internally, seeing Kessler as a critical fit alongside him in pick-and-roll coverage and lob threat situations. The star power endorsement matters: when Doncic champions a move, the Lakers listen.

Kessler also teased something unexpected — an offensive leap. During a media day session, the Auburn product hinted at expanded offensive capabilities that go beyond his traditional roll-man and rim-running role, something that would quiet critics who see him as a defensive specialist with limited upside as a No. 3 option.

How the Trade Got Done

The behind-the-scenes reporting adds intrigue. According to NBA rumors, Kessler's camp effectively pressured the Jazz into accepting the sign-and-trade by signaling his intent to leave Utah — giving the Lakers leverage to structure a deal that maximized their return while keeping Kessler's new contract intact. Whether that maneuver was savvy or a red flag about his relationship with previous management likely depends on how the next four years unfold.

The Supporting Cast and the Stakes

With the starting five still not fully set beyond Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler, the Lakers are working through training camp with real competition for the final two spots. The front office has also fielded trade ideas — including a proposed Dalton Knecht swap for veteran frontcourt depth — as the team tries to fortify behind Kessler given his injury history.

Elsewhere in the Auburn NBA alumni world, Isaac Okoro is generating buzz in Chicago, where Bulls training camp dispatches suggest his defensive identity fits exactly what new leadership is building on the South Side.

But make no mistake: this is Kessler's moment. The Auburn big man came into the league as a shot-blocker. Whether he leaves this season as a franchise cornerstone — or an expensive cautionary tale — is the question the entire NBA world is watching.

Two Auburn big men. Two Los Angeles franchises. Two completely opposite offseason outcomes. The week of September 20–26 told a tale of contrasting fates for Tigers alumni Walker Kessler and Johni Broome — one signing a franchise-defining contract, the other packing his bags before ever unpacking them.

Kessler: $130M and a Starting Spot in Hollywood

Walker Kessler is now a Laker — and a rich one. The 7'2" center officially joined Los Angeles via sign-and-trade from the Utah Jazz, locking in a four-year, $130 million extension that makes him the cornerstone of the franchise's post-LeBron James era. The price for the Lakers wasn't cheap: the deal cost multiple first-round picks in draft compensation, a move that's already drawing scrutiny from outside analysts who handed the franchise a C- offseason grade.

But Lakers brass isn't flinching. GM Rob Pelinka made a point of addressing Kessler's injury history — he missed 77 games last season with a left foot issue — with confident public language at the team's season-opening press conference. Head coach JJ Redick went further, gushing that Kessler is a "perfect fit" alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, a trio built around rim protection, perimeter shooting, and lob-finishing.

Doncic himself reportedly influenced the move. Pelinka confirmed the All-NBA guard was deeply involved in offseason roster decisions, and adding a true defensive anchor next to him was a priority. Some national analysts have even floated comparisons between Kessler's defensive profile and Victor Wembanyama — lofty, but a sign of the expectations now resting on the Auburn product's broad shoulders.

The backup center situation remains unsettled, with Redick naming a 6'10" shooter as a potential option and insiders floating Eastern Conference trade targets. For now, though, Kessler is the unquestioned starter — and one of the NBA's higher-paid centers entering 2026-27.

Broome: Drafted, Traded, Waived — All Before Tip-Off

Johni Broome's NBA journey has been a whirlwind, and not the good kind. Selected 35th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Broome was originally drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers before being shipped to the LA Clippers in a late-July deal involving cash considerations. He never appeared in a game for Los Angeles. The Clippers waived him ahead of the 2026-27 season, ending his stint with the franchise before it ever truly began.

Broome's Auburn resume was sterling — he was one of the most decorated big men in program history. But the transition from college standout to NBA rotation player has proven steep, and his brief, turbulent path through Philadelphia and Los Angeles reflects just how thin the margin is for second-round picks trying to stick in the league.

His next destination is unknown. Teams looking for a physical, versatile forward with a proven college pedigree will have him available on the open market.

Around the League

Auburn's other active NBA alumni are in more stable situations as training camps ramp up. Jabari Smith Jr. continues to draw buzz in Houston, where Sports Illustrated highlighted him as a potential breakout candidate for Rockets camp — coming off the best season of his young career and playing alongside a core that includes Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. Smith does face a numbers crunch, as ClutchPoints flagged him among players on the hottest trade seats entering camp given Houston's enviable but crowded roster depth.

The divergence of Kessler and Broome is the week's defining Auburn story — one Tiger thriving in the spotlight, another searching for a stage.

Walker Kessler Is the Centerpiece of the Lakers' New Era

Auburn's Walker Kessler isn't just on the Los Angeles Lakers — he's the foundation they're building around.

The 7-foot-2, 245-pound center was acquired from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster sign-and-trade this offseason, with the Lakers surrendering significant assets to land him as a long-term cornerstone alongside Luka Doncic. After eight seasons and LeBron James' departure, L.A. didn't just turn the page — they blew up the book. Kessler is the boldest, most expensive bet in that rebuild.

The reaction has been polarizing. Critics have questioned whether he's worth the price, with the "all that for Walker Kessler?!" chorus making the rounds since the deal closed. But Lakers brass and head coach JJ Redick appear unmoved. According to reporting from Heavy Sports, Kessler is one of just three players — alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves — guaranteed major minutes in L.A.'s rotation next season. That's not a backup role. That's a franchise pillar.

Yahoo Sports describes Kessler as one of the NBA's elite rim protectors, a profile that fits neatly beside a primary creator like Doncic. The Lakers' blueprint is clear: Luka handles the ball, Kessler anchors the paint and protects the rim, Reaves spaces the floor. Whether that's a championship formula remains to be seen, but the front office clearly believes Kessler is worth betting on at 25 years old.

Depth behind him, however, remains a legitimate concern. Multiple Heavy Sports reports note that L.A. has been actively pursuing additional big men to back Kessler up, with trade discussions ongoing heading into the preseason window. The center position is a one-man show right now — and that's both a testament to Kessler's standing and a risk the Lakers are managing in real time.

Johni Broome's Clipper Tenure Already in Question

Across town, fellow Auburn alum Johni Broome finds himself in a murkier situation. The Clippers acquired Broome from the Philadelphia 76ers, but per Sports Illustrated, the deal's aftermath — tied to broader Kawhi Leonard trade fallout — has already generated speculation that Broome could be on the move again. The New York Knicks are reportedly among teams that may get a shot at the young center if the Clippers pivot further. Broome has yet to plant any roots in Los Angeles, and the NBA's trade market may uproot him before he gets the chance.

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Two Auburn big men, two very different stories heading into the 2026–27 season. Kessler is the rare college-to-pro pipeline product who didn't just crack a roster — he became the answer to a franchise's biggest question. Broome is still searching for his landing spot. For Auburn fans, Kessler's ascent is the headline. Whether Broome finds stability soon will be the subplot worth watching through the fall.