Throughout training camp and the preseason, the Sacramento Kings have been pushing a stronger defensive focus. The problem is that they lack the defensive players to back that up. That's where Walker Kessler comes in, an elite defender who will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Doug Christie's first full run as head coach of the Kings has left him with a lot of baggage to sort through after last season. A big one is the borderline non-existent defensive presence Sacramento has on the court, mainly because their roster is more focused on scoring.
This issue starts with their current core starting five, most of whom barely play defense. Keegan Murray and Dennis Schroder are solid on defense, but both players are injured at the moment. You have to dig into the bench before you start finding players who can lock things down.
The defensive presence of Walker Kessler
Kessler was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022 before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. A couple of weeks later, he was traded to the Utah Jazz, where he has played for the last three seasons. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
Calling him a defensive power house may be an understatement. In college, Kessler was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and was part of the SEC All-Defensive Team.
So far in the NBA, Kessler has averaged 9.4 points, 9,2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game in his career. He has developed a reputation as top-tier defender who blocks shots, locks the paint down, and hauls down rebounds. The downside is that he tends to pick up a lot of fouls.
Adding him to the Kings
While foul trouble is his main issue, Kessler isn't always the most reliable scorer and underperforms when it comes to assists. He has been working on that and showing progress. If he joins the Kings, scoring won't be an issue, either, because that's the focus of much of the roster.
For the Kings' defensive focus to become reality, they need players on the roster who kill it at that end of the court. That is Kessler. At the age of 24 and going into his fourth NBA season, he has plenty of time to improve where he needs to improve and become even more dominant on defense.
From a salary cap perspective, it's easily manageable. The Kings have several free agents of their own coming up in 2026, freeing up cap space to make something work. Simply letting Dario Saric walk would provide money and a roster spot for Kessler. And the Kings would better off with Kessler.
The Kings have a great center in Domantas Sabonis, a player who rules the glass and chalks up double-doubles so easy you'd think it's Sunday morning. But Sacramento also needs a center who plays defense with the tenacity of Kessler. Together, they could be one heck of a one-two punch.