Luka Doncic sat down with Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick after the Lakers’ playoff exit last year, and said he didn’t want to wait for a championship-caliber roster. Months later, Los Angeles answered that call by landing Walker Kessler, a move reports say Doncic personally pushed for. Now, as Kessler settles, the former Utah Jazz center revealed the first major challenge Redick handed him.

Kessler spoke to the media spoke to the media for the first time since the move and revealed a part of his game Coach Redick demanded he do more.

“I think Coach JJ is hyper intelligent, and obviously being a shooter himself, we’ve talked about it and he wants me to be able to do that (shooting 3-point shots). I think for a big to be able to stretch the floor like that or even have the threat of it, I think it makes other teams scout really difficult.”

According to Slovenian basketball reporter Iztok Franko, Doncic “pushed hard” for the Lakers to acquire Walker Kessler this offseason. Franko reported that people close to the situation confirmed Kessler was the franchise center Luka wanted alongside him in Los Angeles.

The Lakers responded by trading two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033), including first-round swap rights in 2028 and 2030. They also signed Kessler to a reported four-year, $130 million extension

Kessler Opens Up on Teaming Up With Doncic

Walker Kessler spoke about his future partnership with Luka Doncic.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s awesome, you know, to have a guy like that, you know, that once in, obviously, would be awesome to play with him, and now it’s finally, you know, come to fruition, but, you know, especially as a big, it’s very, very exciting, so I’m just really, really looking forward to it.”

Kessler brings to the roster an elite lob target, as one of the NBA’s better rim protectors. For years, Doncic has thrived with vertical-spacing big men capable of finishing alley-oops while anchoring the defense. Reports say he remained in constant communication with Rob Pelinka throughout the offseason about improving the roster, with finding a center sitting atop his wish list.

The deal wasn’t praised by all. Several analysts called it an overpay because Los Angeles surrendered virtually all of its remaining premium draft assets. However, Franko argued that if Kessler was the center Luka wanted badly enough, then that simply became “the cost of doing business.” The Lakers decided that keeping their franchise superstar happy outweighed the draft cost.