Mitchell Robinson Was the Lakers' Plan B Before the Walker Kessler Trade
A new report says LA would've chased Robinson if the Kessler deal collapsed. Instead the center landed in Boston on a 3-year, $47.4M deal.
Starting Lakers center next to Luka and Reaves — steady floor, streaming upside.
- Robinson signed 3yr/$47.4M with Boston
- Kessler: 11.1 pts, 12.2 reb, 2.4 blk in 2024-25
- Robinson: 5.7 pts, 8.8 reb, 72.3% FG last year
- Lakers eyed Robinson at No. 39 in 2018 draft
- Kessler was a restricted free agent in the deal
The Lakers spent the offseason hunting for a center to plug in next to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and they got their man in Walker Kessler. But a new report from The Athletic's Dan Woike says the deal was never a lock — Kessler was a restricted free agent, meaning Utah could've matched any price or simply refused to ship him west. So LA had a fallback, and per team and league sources, that fallback was Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson instead left the Knicks and signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Celtics after winning a title in New York. The Lakers' interest in him wasn't new: the franchise reportedly wanted to draft him back in 2018 had he slipped to No. 39. This offseason, with a productive big needed, the connection resurfaced right up until Kessler became available.
Plan A vs. Plan B on the Court
On paper, this is an upgrade for LA. Robinson is a genuinely useful player — he shot 72.3% from the field and grabbed 8.8 rebounds per game — but he's a low-usage rim-runner, not a hub. Kessler brings more juice, averaging 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks during the 2024-25 season before landing with the Lakers.
The early Lakers sample backs that up. In just five games with LA (2025-26), Kessler posted 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3 assists, good for 38.3 fantasy points per game. Robinson, now in Boston, put up a modest 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds across 60 games last season (2025-26), landing him at 23.2 fantasy points per game and No. 159 in our rankings (No. 29 among centers).
The Fantasy Fallout
For fantasy managers, this reshuffle matters mostly at the margins. Kessler's tiny 2025-26 sample screams volume upside beside Dončić and Reaves — Reaves himself checks in at No. 39 overall (No. 19 at his position) on 38.7 fantasy points per game last season (2025-26), even with his form cooling by 3.9 points over his last five. Robinson is trending the other way, up 3.2 fantasy points across his last five games, but his ceiling in Boston is capped by role and minutes.
Bottom line: Kessler is the priority hold in any format where blocks and boards move the needle, and he's worth a speculative add if he's floating in shallower leagues. Robinson stays a deep-league defensive specialist and a matchup-based stream, nothing more. Plan A won the day — and it's the one your roster should care about.
