Auburn Professional Athletes

Walker Kessler Is Already Rewriting Lakers History

The critics who panned the Lakers for trading two picks and handing Walker Kessler a $130 million deal went quiet fast. The Auburn product opened the 2026-27 NBA season with one of the most statistically pristine debut performances in league history — a flawless 12-for-12 shooting night against Golden State that matched a 56-year-old Wilt Chamberlain record from 1969. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in just 29 minutes as the Lakers blew out the Warriors 127-105.

The comparisons to Shaq and Wilt followed immediately, and even Shaquille O'Neal himself weighed in with a message for Kessler — reportedly earning the rookie nickname "Milk Chamberlain" from the Hall of Famer. Kessler admitted he was left in awe.

He didn't stop there. In Game 2 on Saturday against the Clippers, Kessler poured in 22 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, swatted 6 shots, and went a staggering +18 in a 125-117 Lakers win. Through two games, the former Tiger is averaging 24 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 1.5 steals — numbers that would look outlandish on a veteran All-Star, let alone a center in his first week with a new team.

Head coach JJ Redick hasn't been shy about the ceiling he sees. Redick told reporters before the season that he was eager to unlock Kessler's "All-Star level" game, and the early returns suggest that isn't coach-speak. The NBA took notice too, making an announcement amid Kessler's historic start — a sign the league itself is paying attention to what's happening in Los Angeles.

The Auburn fanbase couldn't have scripted a better opening week.

Jabari Smith Jr. Drops 30, Rockets Roll

Over in Houston, Jabari Smith Jr. had a statement performance of his own. The former Tiger forward erupted for 30 points, 5 rebounds, and a +18 plus-minus in the Rockets' 128-110 dismantling of the Mavericks on opening night — sharing the scoring load alongside Kevin Durant as Houston looked every bit the title contender some are projecting. Smith followed that up with a quieter 7-point, 5-rebound outing in a 114-110 win over San Antonio on Saturday, though his +12 rating and 2 blocks illustrated his continued defensive value in a hard-fought road victory.

Other Auburn Alumni: Johnson and Okoro Log Minutes

Chaney Johnson (Nets) and Isaac Okoro (Bulls) both saw action this week with mixed results. Johnson flashed some versatility in Brooklyn's loss to Cleveland on Saturday, posting 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 27 minutes. His earlier outing against Charlotte was a brief cameo. Okoro had a tale of two games for Chicago — a rough -27 night in a blowout loss to Toronto, followed by a bounce-back 12-point, +11 showing in the Bulls' 132-125 win over Milwaukee on Friday.

On the roster news front, Johni Broome did not make it out of preseason with the Bucks, who waived the Auburn big man before the regular season began.

The headline, though, belongs entirely to Kessler. Auburn hasn't had a Tiger announce himself to the NBA quite like this in a long time.

Walker Kessler Makes Lakers Fans Believe

Auburn's most prominent NBA export had a week to remember — and one to forget, depending on which Tiger you're tracking.

Walker Kessler arrived in Los Angeles via trade from Utah as the Lakers' marquee offseason acquisition, and after missing the first three preseason games with a jammed finger, the former Auburn center finally suited up against the Golden State Warriors. He made it count. In just 15 minutes, Kessler posted 11 points, nine rebounds, and a block — a performance that head coach JJ Redick endorsed openly and that effectively clinched his spot in the starting lineup heading into opening night.

That starting five — Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams, and Kessler — represents a significant retooling for a Lakers franchise navigating life after LeBron James. General manager Rob Pelinka pulled off the Kessler trade as the centerpiece of a defensive overhaul, and the early returns suggest he fits the scheme. The 23-year-old center admitted to nerves in his purple-and-gold debut, but nothing in his stat line showed it.

Kessler also got a crash course in the NBA's best when the Lakers closed the preseason against Denver. Matched up against Nikola Jokić, Kessler described the challenge with a candid mix of admiration and competitive edge — calling Jokić "arguably the best big in the league and best player in the league," while noting that Luka Doncic's presence alongside him in LA changes the calculus on both ends. It's the kind of comment that signals a player thinking seriously about his role in a contender's system, not just collecting a paycheck.

The trajectory is clear: Kessler enters opening night as LA's defensive anchor, and Auburn fans have every reason to watch the Lakers this season.

Miles Kelly Gets Cut in Golden State

The week was considerably rougher for Miles Kelly. The 23-year-old Auburn guard had been competing for a roster spot with the Golden State Warriors through the preseason, but Golden State announced his release following a win over the Sacramento Kings. Kelly did not play in that final game before the waiver wire came calling.

The cut is a hard-nosed reminder of how thin the margins are at the roster bubble. Kelly's time with Golden State ends without a regular-season appearance, though he remains young enough to catch on elsewhere — whether via another NBA contract or time in the G League.

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Two Auburn alumni, two very different outcomes as the NBA regular season approaches. Kessler is locked into one of the league's most-watched starting lineups. Kelly is back on the market. The Plains produce NBA-caliber talent; the league decides who sticks.

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.