Lakers reportedly acquire Walker Kessler from Jazz in $130 million sign-and-trade, reach deals with Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton
Dan DevineSenior writerWed, July 1, 2026 at 4:11 PM UTC·4 min readThe Utah Jazz are trading Walker Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers, who will sign him to a four-year, $130 million deal, taking one of the top talents in this summer's restricted free agency class — and one of the best big men available overall — off the market in 2026 NBA free agency. In return, the Jazz will get unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The Lakers were just getting started. They continued to remake their frontline by reaching agreement on a four-year, $52 million contract with free-agent forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili, according to ESPN.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThey also are adding free-agent guard Quentin Grimes on a four-year, $60 million contract and guard Collin Sexton on a two-year, $19 million deal. The Lakers’ spending spree came one day after LeBron James announced he was leaving L.A. to play elsewhere next season.
Kessler, who turns 25 in late July, has averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per game in his career. He has shot 68.1% from the field, feasting on a steady diet of alley-oop dunks, high-low lobs, cuts from the dunker spot and putbacks on the offensive glass, as one of the NBA's top interior finishers.
Selected out of Auburn with the 22nd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft — a pick, by the way, that the Utah Jazz originally sent to Memphis in 2019 in the deal that brought them Mike Conley, and wound up making its way back to them in the deal that sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota — the 7-foot-2, 250-pound Kessler has developed into one of the league's premier per-minute rim-runners, rebounders, shot-blockers and interior deterrents. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022-23, led the NBA in offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 (and finished fifth in rebounding overall), has posted top-five finishes in blocks per game three times in four seasons (and he missed nearly all of his fourth season following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder), and has the sixth-highest effective field goal percentage of anybody who's played at least 100 games since entering the league.
That player type — a low-usage, high-efficiency extra-possession generator on offense; a huge, physical paint protector whose sheer presence limits opponents' shot attempts at the rim (and reduces their conversion rate on the up-close shots they do take) — has value around the league. Multiple teams, including the Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards, all reportedly showed interest in trying to snare him before last February's trade deadline.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJust how much value, though, became something of a point of contention between Kessler and a Jazz team that was in the midst of … well, let's be charitable and call it a "multi-year deep rebuild that occasionally drew six figures' worth of ire from the league office." (As Tony Jones of The Athletic put it last season, "One of the only things that truly muted [Kessler's] performance has been a lack of playing time.")
The two sides couldn't come to an agreement on an extension of Kessler's rookie-scale contract before the 2025-26 season, ticketing him for restricted free agency. After he missed all but five games of that would-be contract year, they came back to the negotiating table this summer, but reportedly remained far apart in their contract proposals.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Jazz offered Kessler a deal in the neighborhood of $140 million over five years — an average annual value that would've slotted in just outside the top 10 centers in the league, a few million below Cleveland's Jarrett Allen and a bit above Milwaukee's Myles Turner. Kessler declined that offer, preferring to enter the market in search of a richer offer sheet — even as the Jazz continued signaling their interest in using their right-of-first-refusal to match any such proposal in favor of retaining Kessler in what profiled as an exciting (and huge) front line with incumbent All-Star wing Lauri Markkanen and trade-deadline acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
