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Deadspin | Cam York’s overtime winner helps Flyers eliminate Penguins in G6  Apr 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; The Philadelphia Flyers celebrate after game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images   Cam York scored with 2:30 left in the first overtime to propel the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round of the playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.  After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Flyers lost Games 4 and 5 and struggled to find their offensive footing for much of Game 6. However, York’s first career playoff goal came at the perfect time, sending Philadelphia into a second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, York unleashed a wrist shot from the right point that got through traffic, hit off the right post, and skipped past Arturs Silovs. Silovs finished with 31 saves, while Dan Vladar turned aside 42 shots for his second shutout of the series.  Silovs had big stops on Owen Tippett and Porter Martone in the first period. Both teams had one power play in the session, but neither team was able to dent the scoreboard.  Pittsburgh had another man advantage in the early portion of the second period, but Vladar and the Flyers held firm.  Shortly thereafter, Matvei Michkov skated in on a breakaway, only to have his wrister denied by Silovs. He nearly scored again on the same shift, but Silovs beat him to the post.   Philadelphia opened the third period with a power play after Kris Letang punched Travis Konecny at the end of the second period. But the Flyers’ man advantage was uneventful and the game remained scoreless.  With about 12 minutes left in regulation, Vladar made a confident stop against Egor Chinakhov on an offensive rush. A couple of minutes later, Silovs made a flashy glove save on Michkov.  Pittsburgh pressured late in the third period. Tommy Novak hit the post with a shot from distance, and then Vladar denied Bryan Rust from close range.  The Penguins had the advantage early in overtime with Evgeni Malkin getting a great scoring opportunity from the slot. Shortly thereafter, a wild scrum in front of the Philadelphia net created some tense moments before the play was blown dead.  Late in overtime, Martone’s shot into an open net was somehow stopped by Silovs’s stick that was lying on the ice. However, the Flyers won the game less than a minute later.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Cam #Yorks #overtime #winner #helps #Flyers #eliminate #Penguins

Deadspin | Cam York’s overtime winner helps Flyers eliminate Penguins in G6
Deadspin | Cam York’s overtime winner helps Flyers eliminate Penguins in G6  Apr 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; The Philadelphia Flyers celebrate after game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images   Cam York scored with 2:30 left in the first overtime to propel the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round of the playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.  After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Flyers lost Games 4 and 5 and struggled to find their offensive footing for much of Game 6. However, York’s first career playoff goal came at the perfect time, sending Philadelphia into a second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, York unleashed a wrist shot from the right point that got through traffic, hit off the right post, and skipped past Arturs Silovs. Silovs finished with 31 saves, while Dan Vladar turned aside 42 shots for his second shutout of the series.  Silovs had big stops on Owen Tippett and Porter Martone in the first period. Both teams had one power play in the session, but neither team was able to dent the scoreboard.  Pittsburgh had another man advantage in the early portion of the second period, but Vladar and the Flyers held firm.  Shortly thereafter, Matvei Michkov skated in on a breakaway, only to have his wrister denied by Silovs. He nearly scored again on the same shift, but Silovs beat him to the post.   Philadelphia opened the third period with a power play after Kris Letang punched Travis Konecny at the end of the second period. But the Flyers’ man advantage was uneventful and the game remained scoreless.  With about 12 minutes left in regulation, Vladar made a confident stop against Egor Chinakhov on an offensive rush. A couple of minutes later, Silovs made a flashy glove save on Michkov.  Pittsburgh pressured late in the third period. Tommy Novak hit the post with a shot from distance, and then Vladar denied Bryan Rust from close range.  The Penguins had the advantage early in overtime with Evgeni Malkin getting a great scoring opportunity from the slot. Shortly thereafter, a wild scrum in front of the Philadelphia net created some tense moments before the play was blown dead.  Late in overtime, Martone’s shot into an open net was somehow stopped by Silovs’s stick that was lying on the ice. However, the Flyers won the game less than a minute later.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Cam #Yorks #overtime #winner #helps #Flyers #eliminate #PenguinsApr 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; The Philadelphia Flyers celebrate after game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Cam York scored with 2:30 left in the first overtime to propel the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round of the playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Flyers lost Games 4 and 5 and struggled to find their offensive footing for much of Game 6. However, York’s first career playoff goal came at the perfect time, sending Philadelphia into a second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, York unleashed a wrist shot from the right point that got through traffic, hit off the right post, and skipped past Arturs Silovs. Silovs finished with 31 saves, while Dan Vladar turned aside 42 shots for his second shutout of the series.

Silovs had big stops on Owen Tippett and Porter Martone in the first period. Both teams had one power play in the session, but neither team was able to dent the scoreboard.

Pittsburgh had another man advantage in the early portion of the second period, but Vladar and the Flyers held firm.


Shortly thereafter, Matvei Michkov skated in on a breakaway, only to have his wrister denied by Silovs. He nearly scored again on the same shift, but Silovs beat him to the post.

Philadelphia opened the third period with a power play after Kris Letang punched Travis Konecny at the end of the second period. But the Flyers’ man advantage was uneventful and the game remained scoreless.

With about 12 minutes left in regulation, Vladar made a confident stop against Egor Chinakhov on an offensive rush. A couple of minutes later, Silovs made a flashy glove save on Michkov.

Pittsburgh pressured late in the third period. Tommy Novak hit the post with a shot from distance, and then Vladar denied Bryan Rust from close range.

The Penguins had the advantage early in overtime with Evgeni Malkin getting a great scoring opportunity from the slot. Shortly thereafter, a wild scrum in front of the Philadelphia net created some tense moments before the play was blown dead.

Late in overtime, Martone’s shot into an open net was somehow stopped by Silovs’s stick that was lying on the ice. However, the Flyers won the game less than a minute later.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Cam #Yorks #overtime #winner #helps #Flyers #eliminate #Penguins

Apr 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; The Philadelphia Flyers celebrate after game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Cam York scored with 2:30 left in the first overtime to propel the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round of the playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Flyers lost Games 4 and 5 and struggled to find their offensive footing for much of Game 6. However, York’s first career playoff goal came at the perfect time, sending Philadelphia into a second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, York unleashed a wrist shot from the right point that got through traffic, hit off the right post, and skipped past Arturs Silovs. Silovs finished with 31 saves, while Dan Vladar turned aside 42 shots for his second shutout of the series.

Silovs had big stops on Owen Tippett and Porter Martone in the first period. Both teams had one power play in the session, but neither team was able to dent the scoreboard.

Pittsburgh had another man advantage in the early portion of the second period, but Vladar and the Flyers held firm.

Shortly thereafter, Matvei Michkov skated in on a breakaway, only to have his wrister denied by Silovs. He nearly scored again on the same shift, but Silovs beat him to the post.

Philadelphia opened the third period with a power play after Kris Letang punched Travis Konecny at the end of the second period. But the Flyers’ man advantage was uneventful and the game remained scoreless.

With about 12 minutes left in regulation, Vladar made a confident stop against Egor Chinakhov on an offensive rush. A couple of minutes later, Silovs made a flashy glove save on Michkov.

Pittsburgh pressured late in the third period. Tommy Novak hit the post with a shot from distance, and then Vladar denied Bryan Rust from close range.

The Penguins had the advantage early in overtime with Evgeni Malkin getting a great scoring opportunity from the slot. Shortly thereafter, a wild scrum in front of the Philadelphia net created some tense moments before the play was blown dead.

Late in overtime, Martone’s shot into an open net was somehow stopped by Silovs’s stick that was lying on the ice. However, the Flyers won the game less than a minute later.

–Field Level Media

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Ashley Young to retire at the end of the season <div id="content-body-70924217" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Former England forward Ashley Young said he will retire at the end of the season, ​bringing the curtain down on a career spanning more than ‌two decades.</p><p>The 40-year-old, currently at Championship side ​Ipswich Town, made more than 750 club ⁠appearances and scored 88 goals across spells with Watford, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Everton.</p><p>“From Sefton Road to ‌Vicarage Road to Villa Park to Wembley to Old Trafford to San Siro back to ‌Villa Park to Goodison Park and finally to ‌Portman ⁠Road. It’s been some journey that I only ⁠dreamt of as a boy,” Young said in an <i>Instagram</i> post on Thursday.</p><p>“But with this dream there has to be an ​ending and Saturday might ‌be the last game of my professional career.”</p><p>Young began his career at Watford, making his senior debut in 2003, and played a key role in the ‌club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2006.</p><p>He ​later moved to Aston Villa in 2007, where he became one of the league’s ⁠most effective wide players, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2009.</p><p>His performances led to a ‌transfer to Manchester United in 2011 under manager Alex Ferguson. Young enjoyed his most successful spell at Old Trafford, winning the Premier League title during the 2012-13 season, the FA Cup in 2016 and the Europa League in 2017.</p><p>Over nine seasons at Manchester ‌United, he evolved from an attacking winger into a full back, ​later serving as club captain before departing in 2020.</p><p>Young then spent a season in Italy ⁠with Inter Milan, with whom he won the Serie ⁠A title in the 2020-21 season. He subsequently returned to Villa before later spells at Everton ‌and Ipswich.</p><p>Internationally, Young got 39 caps for England between 2007 and 2018, representing his country at ​the 2012 European Championship and the 2018 World Cup.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 30, 2026</p></div> #Ashley #Young #retire #season

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Lowering the marathon mark: Researcher says sub 2-hour record could be reduced by 5 minutes <div id="content-body-70923407" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Only days after the first sub-2 hour marathon , an Australian university professor who has devoted much of his career to studying times over the 42.195-kilometer (26.2-mile) event says the mark could improve by more than five minutes.</p><p>On Sunday, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, bettering the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds. He held off Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who was running his first official marathon and finished in 1:59.41 — the first two men to complete a marathon in under 2 hours.</p><p>Sawe, who arrived home to a hero’s welcome in Kenya on Wednesday, broke the previous mark held by his countryman, Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February 2024.</p><p>Simon Angus of Melbourne’s Monash University, who describes himself as a data scientist and economist, analyses the historical progression of the men’s and women’s world marathon records. He first predicted in a 2019 research paper that the first sub 2-hour men’s time wouldn’t be achieved until 2032.</p><p>In 2023, he revised that prediction to March 2027. With the weekend times in London, Angus says with further modeling, a new benchmark could be 1 hour, 54 minutes – five minutes, 30 seconds faster than Sawe ran in London.</p><p>That kind of time would set a whole new benchmark.</p><p>“I think that should stand a very long test of time. I wouldn’t expect this in my children’s lifetime,” Angus told <i>The Associated Press</i> in an interview Thursday. “We could be running a different kind of marathon, at the hypothecial, theoretical limit.</p><p>“There could be rule changes… what kinds of material in the shoes or singlets, feedback technology. It’s a tussle between technology advances and doping control.”</p><p>Angus added that often the most-talented runners are able to take advantage of improving technologies.</p><p>“In trying to achieve a marathon world record, there are so many different areas of innovation,” Angus said. “There is a huge amount of money being spent on nutrition, training, shoe technology. What it means is that when someone puts their face a little bit in front, they get the benefit of those technological improvements.”</p><p>Angus wrote in an analysis published in <i>The Conversation Australia</i> this week that his “ statistical framework “ uses an assumption that, over time, performance gains become harder to achieve.</p><p>“Any of us who have aimed to improve on our local park run time will know all too well how hard it becomes to eke out more performance gains after the initial euphoria of the first week or two’s improvements is over,” he wrote.</p><p>A record also was established in the women’s race in London on Sunday, with Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa winning in 2:15:41 to defend her title in the fastest-ever time in a women’s-only marathon.</p><p>Angus said that because there have been fewer women’s-only marathons, it has been more difficult to publish data on them.</p><p>“Women’s times are in a gray space,” Angus said, but still predicted a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes — about five minutes faster than Assefa’s time on Sunday — as one that eventually could be established.</p><p>The 47-year-old Angus is a married father of three who has run training marathons most recently in just under three hours.</p><p>He said he received word about the sub-2 hour London result — the time he predicted wouldn’t happen initially for another six years — about 9 p.m. Sunday local time in Melbourne, just after the race finished.</p><p>“A friend texted and the first thing he said is ‘you are going to have a lot of work to do,’” Angus said. “I thought they’ll break the world record but there’s no way they’ll do sub-2. Then I checked and thought, ‘now I probably need to get on to it.’”</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 30, 2026</p></div> #Lowering #marathon #mark #Researcher #2hour #record #reduced #minutes

The Los Angeles Lakers are fully committed to building around Luka Doncic with LeBron James departing in free agency. Doncic has been clamoring for the team to add a talented young center, and the Lakers delivered on Wednesday afternoon with an incredibly bold deal that mortgages four years of draft control for an effective if often injured big man.

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Kessler, who was a restricted free agent, has agreed to a four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option in the final season.

This is a stunning price to pay for a big man at first blush. The Lakers now have a defensive anchor to play alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, while the Jazz recouped a tremendous amount of future draft capital to continue their rebuild. Let’s grade this deal for both sides.

Lakers grade for Walker Kessler trade

Kessler is one of the better rim protectors in the NBA when he’s healthy. He just hasn’t been healthy very often. Kessler only played five games last season as he recovered from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’s only met the NBA’s 65-game threshold for award eligibility one time in his four-year career, and that came as a rookie. Utah’s tanking shenanigans contributed to Kessler missing games, but he’ll need to stay on the court and play at an elite level for this deal to work out for the Lakers.

Kessler has two main strengths as a player: rebounding and blocking shots. He averages 4.5 blocks per 100 possessions for his career, an elite number. He also led the NBA in offensive rebound rate back in the 2024-25 season, when he posted a wild 16.6 percent o-board rate in 58 games. He’s a fantastic defensive rebounder as well, which plays into his reputation as one of the game’s top defensive bigs.

Kessler’s offense is a much bigger question outside of generating extra possessions on the glass. He’s a total non-shooter from three-point range with 17 made threes in 201 career games, however he did make six threes in five games last season before the injury. He’s a career 54 percent free throw shooter, making him one of the NBA’s worst from the foul line. He can finish dunks and putbacks inside, and that’s about it. He hasn’t added much value as a passer throughout his career, either.

This is the Lakers’ big swing to build a championship team around Luka. Los Angeles obviously needed a strong defensive center to pair with two weak defenders in Doncic and Reaves, and they paid a massive price to get one. Usually a trade like this returns a superstar. Instead, the Lakers acquired someone who fits the team well but doesn’t have the production you typically associate with this type of trade.

Big men are getting huge deals all around the NBA this summer, and Kessler’s is the most jarring yet. The four-year, $130 million contract feels fair for both sides. The amount of draft capital given up to get him is what’s so surprising.

The Lakers way overpaid in my view. It could work out for them because Kessler is really good at protecting the rim and cleaning the glass if he stays healthy, but it’s hard to see how this elevates LA into championship contention, and they don’t have many assets left to keep building the team.

Jazz grade for Walker Kessler trade

Talk about a sell-high trade. It’s amazing the Jazz were able to get this type of return for Kessler after he only played five games last season. He’s not an elite center in my view, but the Jazz certainly got elite value back for him.

Utah is set up so well for the future now. They have No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson as their new franchise star alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. I honestly don’t think losing Kessler makes Utah that much worse for next season given all their front court depth. They are now stocked with assets to continue to build out the team as Peterson reaches his prime.

This is an amazing move for the Jazz. They robbed the Lakers blind. If Peterson reaches his ceiling, Utah will be set up to be a Western Conference contender for years to come. Their ascent should start this season with what looks like a play-in team at least.

#Walker #Kessler #trade #grades #Lakers #Jazz #sends #massive #picks #haul #Utah">Walker Kessler trade grades for Lakers, Jazz after LA sends massive picks haul to Utah  The Los Angeles Lakers are fully committed to building around Luka Doncic with LeBron James departing in free agency. Doncic has been clamoring for the team to add a talented young center, and the Lakers delivered on Wednesday afternoon with an incredibly bold deal that mortgages four years of draft control for an effective if often injured big man.The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Kessler, who was a restricted free agent, has agreed to a four-year, 0 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option in the final season.This is a stunning price to pay for a big man at first blush. The Lakers now have a defensive anchor to play alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, while the Jazz recouped a tremendous amount of future draft capital to continue their rebuild. Let’s grade this deal for both sides.Lakers grade for Walker Kessler tradeKessler is one of the better rim protectors in the NBA when he’s healthy. He just hasn’t been healthy very often. Kessler only played five games last season as he recovered from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’s only met the NBA’s 65-game threshold for award eligibility one time in his four-year career, and that came as a rookie. Utah’s tanking shenanigans contributed to Kessler missing games, but he’ll need to stay on the court and play at an elite level for this deal to work out for the Lakers.Kessler has two main strengths as a player: rebounding and blocking shots. He averages 4.5 blocks per 100 possessions for his career, an elite number. He also led the NBA in offensive rebound rate back in the 2024-25 season, when he posted a wild 16.6 percent o-board rate in 58 games. He’s a fantastic defensive rebounder as well, which plays into his reputation as one of the game’s top defensive bigs.Kessler’s offense is a much bigger question outside of generating extra possessions on the glass. He’s a total non-shooter from three-point range with 17 made threes in 201 career games, however he did make six threes in five games last season before the injury. He’s a career 54 percent free throw shooter, making him one of the NBA’s worst from the foul line. He can finish dunks and putbacks inside, and that’s about it. He hasn’t added much value as a passer throughout his career, either.This is the Lakers’ big swing to build a championship team around Luka. Los Angeles obviously needed a strong defensive center to pair with two weak defenders in Doncic and Reaves, and they paid a massive price to get one. Usually a trade like this returns a superstar. Instead, the Lakers acquired someone who fits the team well but doesn’t have the production you typically associate with this type of trade.Big men are getting huge deals all around the NBA this summer, and Kessler’s is the most jarring yet. The four-year, 0 million contract feels fair for both sides. The amount of draft capital given up to get him is what’s so surprising.The Lakers way overpaid in my view. It could work out for them because Kessler is really good at protecting the rim and cleaning the glass if he stays healthy, but it’s hard to see how this elevates LA into championship contention, and they don’t have many assets left to keep building the team.Jazz grade for Walker Kessler tradeTalk about a sell-high trade. It’s amazing the Jazz were able to get this type of return for Kessler after he only played five games last season. He’s not an elite center in my view, but the Jazz certainly got elite value back for him.Utah is set up so well for the future now. They have No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson as their new franchise star alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. I honestly don’t think losing Kessler makes Utah that much worse for next season given all their front court depth. They are now stocked with assets to continue to build out the team as Peterson reaches his prime.This is an amazing move for the Jazz. They robbed the Lakers blind. If Peterson reaches his ceiling, Utah will be set up to be a Western Conference contender for years to come. Their ascent should start this season with what looks like a play-in team at least.  #Walker #Kessler #trade #grades #Lakers #Jazz #sends #massive #picks #haul #Utah

according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Kessler, who was a restricted free agent, has agreed to a four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option in the final season.

This is a stunning price to pay for a big man at first blush. The Lakers now have a defensive anchor to play alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, while the Jazz recouped a tremendous amount of future draft capital to continue their rebuild. Let’s grade this deal for both sides.

Lakers grade for Walker Kessler trade

Kessler is one of the better rim protectors in the NBA when he’s healthy. He just hasn’t been healthy very often. Kessler only played five games last season as he recovered from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’s only met the NBA’s 65-game threshold for award eligibility one time in his four-year career, and that came as a rookie. Utah’s tanking shenanigans contributed to Kessler missing games, but he’ll need to stay on the court and play at an elite level for this deal to work out for the Lakers.

Kessler has two main strengths as a player: rebounding and blocking shots. He averages 4.5 blocks per 100 possessions for his career, an elite number. He also led the NBA in offensive rebound rate back in the 2024-25 season, when he posted a wild 16.6 percent o-board rate in 58 games. He’s a fantastic defensive rebounder as well, which plays into his reputation as one of the game’s top defensive bigs.

Kessler’s offense is a much bigger question outside of generating extra possessions on the glass. He’s a total non-shooter from three-point range with 17 made threes in 201 career games, however he did make six threes in five games last season before the injury. He’s a career 54 percent free throw shooter, making him one of the NBA’s worst from the foul line. He can finish dunks and putbacks inside, and that’s about it. He hasn’t added much value as a passer throughout his career, either.

This is the Lakers’ big swing to build a championship team around Luka. Los Angeles obviously needed a strong defensive center to pair with two weak defenders in Doncic and Reaves, and they paid a massive price to get one. Usually a trade like this returns a superstar. Instead, the Lakers acquired someone who fits the team well but doesn’t have the production you typically associate with this type of trade.

Big men are getting huge deals all around the NBA this summer, and Kessler’s is the most jarring yet. The four-year, $130 million contract feels fair for both sides. The amount of draft capital given up to get him is what’s so surprising.

The Lakers way overpaid in my view. It could work out for them because Kessler is really good at protecting the rim and cleaning the glass if he stays healthy, but it’s hard to see how this elevates LA into championship contention, and they don’t have many assets left to keep building the team.

Jazz grade for Walker Kessler trade

Talk about a sell-high trade. It’s amazing the Jazz were able to get this type of return for Kessler after he only played five games last season. He’s not an elite center in my view, but the Jazz certainly got elite value back for him.

Utah is set up so well for the future now. They have No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson as their new franchise star alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. I honestly don’t think losing Kessler makes Utah that much worse for next season given all their front court depth. They are now stocked with assets to continue to build out the team as Peterson reaches his prime.

This is an amazing move for the Jazz. They robbed the Lakers blind. If Peterson reaches his ceiling, Utah will be set up to be a Western Conference contender for years to come. Their ascent should start this season with what looks like a play-in team at least.

#Walker #Kessler #trade #grades #Lakers #Jazz #sends #massive #picks #haul #Utah">Walker Kessler trade grades for Lakers, Jazz after LA sends massive picks haul to Utah

The Los Angeles Lakers are fully committed to building around Luka Doncic with LeBron James departing in free agency. Doncic has been clamoring for the team to add a talented young center, and the Lakers delivered on Wednesday afternoon with an incredibly bold deal that mortgages four years of draft control for an effective if often injured big man.

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Kessler, who was a restricted free agent, has agreed to a four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option in the final season.

This is a stunning price to pay for a big man at first blush. The Lakers now have a defensive anchor to play alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, while the Jazz recouped a tremendous amount of future draft capital to continue their rebuild. Let’s grade this deal for both sides.

Lakers grade for Walker Kessler trade

Kessler is one of the better rim protectors in the NBA when he’s healthy. He just hasn’t been healthy very often. Kessler only played five games last season as he recovered from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’s only met the NBA’s 65-game threshold for award eligibility one time in his four-year career, and that came as a rookie. Utah’s tanking shenanigans contributed to Kessler missing games, but he’ll need to stay on the court and play at an elite level for this deal to work out for the Lakers.

Kessler has two main strengths as a player: rebounding and blocking shots. He averages 4.5 blocks per 100 possessions for his career, an elite number. He also led the NBA in offensive rebound rate back in the 2024-25 season, when he posted a wild 16.6 percent o-board rate in 58 games. He’s a fantastic defensive rebounder as well, which plays into his reputation as one of the game’s top defensive bigs.

Kessler’s offense is a much bigger question outside of generating extra possessions on the glass. He’s a total non-shooter from three-point range with 17 made threes in 201 career games, however he did make six threes in five games last season before the injury. He’s a career 54 percent free throw shooter, making him one of the NBA’s worst from the foul line. He can finish dunks and putbacks inside, and that’s about it. He hasn’t added much value as a passer throughout his career, either.

This is the Lakers’ big swing to build a championship team around Luka. Los Angeles obviously needed a strong defensive center to pair with two weak defenders in Doncic and Reaves, and they paid a massive price to get one. Usually a trade like this returns a superstar. Instead, the Lakers acquired someone who fits the team well but doesn’t have the production you typically associate with this type of trade.

Big men are getting huge deals all around the NBA this summer, and Kessler’s is the most jarring yet. The four-year, $130 million contract feels fair for both sides. The amount of draft capital given up to get him is what’s so surprising.

The Lakers way overpaid in my view. It could work out for them because Kessler is really good at protecting the rim and cleaning the glass if he stays healthy, but it’s hard to see how this elevates LA into championship contention, and they don’t have many assets left to keep building the team.

Jazz grade for Walker Kessler trade

Talk about a sell-high trade. It’s amazing the Jazz were able to get this type of return for Kessler after he only played five games last season. He’s not an elite center in my view, but the Jazz certainly got elite value back for him.

Utah is set up so well for the future now. They have No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson as their new franchise star alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. I honestly don’t think losing Kessler makes Utah that much worse for next season given all their front court depth. They are now stocked with assets to continue to build out the team as Peterson reaches his prime.

This is an amazing move for the Jazz. They robbed the Lakers blind. If Peterson reaches his ceiling, Utah will be set up to be a Western Conference contender for years to come. Their ascent should start this season with what looks like a play-in team at least.

#Walker #Kessler #trade #grades #Lakers #Jazz #sends #massive #picks #haul #Utah

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