Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz couldn't see eye to eye on an extension last summer, so the young center plans to take his chances in restricted free agency. It makes sense because he's a quality player that the Jazz can't afford to lose, but unfortunately for him, his options are running out.
Make no mistake that Utah plans to pay him, but it was already bad enough for the big man when potential Kessler suitors like Washington and Indiana took themselves out of the running after trading for Anthony Davis and Ivica Zubac. Now, it's about to get worse because Milwaukee's pending blowup will hurt Kessler's market even more.
For anyone who hasn't heard by now, the Bucks-Giannis Antetokounmpo divorce is on the horizon after an all-out exposé from ESPN's Shams Charania revealed just how bad things have gotten. It turns out Giannis has wanted out for some time, but because he didn't want to make it public, the Bucks have held him hostage, culminating in what's become the NBA's worst situation.
A Giannis trade feels inevitable, and once it happens, that means other Bucks will be gone too. Chief among them is their "prized" free agent addition, Myles Turner.
Teams may want to buy low on Turner instead of courting Kessler
Multiple teams need centers, but that market dried up a tad after the trade deadline. A few of them could court Kessler, but there's a solid chance they may want to go after Turner first because it may cost them less.
Turner isn't a star, and there's a solid chance Kessler has a better long-term outlook from here than he does, but even so, if the Bucks want to start over, teams may think of Turner as the better option to turn to, especially with his value a little lower than usual after Milwaukee's disastrous season.
Turner's numbers are down, and he's got three years left on his deal, but even so, his previous sucess with the Indiana Pacers may appeal to some teams in a trade. It appeals more than signing Kessler to an offer sheet that the Jazz can and likely will match. If Milwaukee wants to salary dump him, that will make it even tougher for any suitor to choose pursuing Kessler over Turner.
If and when Milwaukee trades Turner, Kessler loses even more leverage than he's already lost since passing on that extension with the Jazz, because whoever takes Turner won't have any need for him. It will put less pressure on the Jazz to give him the raise he wants.
Kessler is still going to get paid a hefty sum, but all the dominoes that have fallen since he and Utah couldn't agree on a new deal have only taken more dollars away from the hypothetical sum Kessler and the Jazz will likely agree to this summer.
Kessler's expectations for his next deal may have been too high, and by contrast, all of this happening is great news for the Jazz, but you can't help but feel a little sorry for the fact that all signs point to him having to make a compromise this summer.