Hoops Nightly
Deandre Ayton
Wizards · C · 28
Deandre Ayton
vs
2025-26
Walker Kessler
Lakers · C · 25
Walker Kessler
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Deandre Ayton vs Walker Kessler

2-15categories
Ayton · Kessler
Deandre Ayton
Ayton
Wizards
2025-26
Kessler
Lakers
Walker Kessler
72
Games
availability
5
27.2
Minutes
per game
30.8
12.5
Points
per game
14.4
8.0
Rebounds
per game
10.8
0.8
Assists
per game
3.0
1.6
Steals + blocks
per game
3.2
1.2
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
3.2
67.1%
Field goal %
70.3%
0.0%
Three-point %
0.0 vs 1.6 attempts
75.0%
64.5%
Free throw %
70.0%
67.6%
True shooting
TS%
78.6%
16.4%
Usage
USG%
16.7%
4.4%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
15.5%
15.4%
Rebound %
of available
16.7%
+0.1
Net rating
on court
+4.8
11.7%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.8%
-0.1
Plus-minus
per game
+2.8
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Walker Kessler scored more in 2025-26, 1.9 points a game apart (14.4 vs 12.5), on Kessler's heavier usage (16.7% vs 16.4%).

Kessler is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 78.6% to 67.6%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Kessler (3.0 vs 0.8 assists), the glass to Kessler (10.8 vs 8.0 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Ayton played 67 more games (72 vs 5 of 82).

With Kessler on the floor his team outscored opponents by +4.8 per 100 possessions, against +0.1 for Ayton; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Ayton $8.1M through 2026-27, Kessler $30.2M through 2029-30. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Ayton
2025-26
Kessler
46-26
Record when playing
2-3
13.1
Points at home
21.7
11.9
Points on the road
3.5
14.3
Points in wins
23.5
9.2
Points in losses
8.3
29
Season high
25
0
30-point games
0
22
Double-doubles
2

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Ayton · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 at NOP4 pts · 4 reb · 0 ast
Mon, Oct 12 vs BKN4 pts · 7 reb · 4 ast
Sat, Oct 10 vs DET4 pts · 6 reb · 1 ast
Thu, Oct 8 at NYK4 pts · 10 reb · 1 ast
Mon, May 11 vs OKC6 pts · 3 reb · 1 ast
Kessler · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs DEN6 pts · 6 reb · 4 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs GSW11 pts · 9 reb · 1 ast
Tue, Oct 6 at GSW0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Mon, Oct 5 at SAC0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Fri, Oct 31 at PHX4 pts · 13 reb · 1 ast
Ayton · contract
2026-27player option$8.1M
Kessler · contract
2026-27$30.2M
2027-28$31.7M
2028-29$33.3M
2029-30player option$34.8M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Ayton vs
Maxime Raynaud · Donovan Clingan · Myles Turner · Wendell Carter Jr.
Kessler vs
Ivica Zubac · Nikola Vucevic · Naz Reid · Jarrett Allen

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).