Hoops Nightly
Nikola Vucevic
Magic · C · 35
Nikola Vucevic
vs
2025-26
Walker Kessler
Lakers · C · 25
Walker Kessler
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Nikola Vucevic vs Walker Kessler

7-10categories
Vucevic · Kessler
Nikola Vucevic
Vucevic
Magic
2025-26
Kessler
Lakers
Walker Kessler
64
Games
availability
5
28.4
Minutes
per game
30.8
15.1
Points
per game
14.4
8.4
Rebounds
per game
10.8
3.3
Assists
per game
3.0
1.2
Steals + blocks
per game
3.2
1.3
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
3.2
49.3%
Field goal %
70.3%
36.9%
Three-point %
4.2 vs 1.6 attempts
75.0%
82.8%
Free throw %
70.0%
57.4%
True shooting
TS%
78.6%
21.3%
Usage
USG%
16.7%
17.5%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
15.5%
14.1%
Rebound %
of available
16.7%
-1.7
Net rating
on court
+4.8
12.7%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.8%
-0.7
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

Nikola Vucevic scored more in 2025-26, 0.7 points a game apart (15.1 vs 14.4), on Vucevic's heavier usage (21.3% vs 16.7%).

Kessler is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 78.6% to 57.4%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Vucevic (3.3 vs 3.0 assists), the glass to Kessler (10.8 vs 8.4 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Vucevic played 59 more games (64 vs 5 of 82).

With Kessler on the floor his team outscored opponents by +4.8 per 100 possessions, against -1.7 for Vucevic; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Vucevic $2.4M 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
Vucevic
2025-26
Kessler
35-29
Record when playing
2-3
15.6
Points at home
21.7
14.4
Points on the road
3.5
15.7
Points in wins
23.5
14.3
Points in losses
8.3
35
Season high
25
1
30-point games
0
23
Double-doubles
2

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Vucevic · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs MIA13 pts · 7 reb · 2 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs CLE0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Sun, Oct 11 at CLE2 pts · 3 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Oct 7 at MEM9 pts · 3 reb · 1 ast
Thu, Apr 30 at PHI2 pts · 2 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
Vucevic · contract
2026-27$2.4M
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 →
Vucevic vs
Jarrett Allen · Ivica Zubac · Alex Sarr · Naz Reid
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).