With the end of another depressing season coming to an end and an exciting next season inching closer and closer, the biggest X-Factor of the Utah Jazz's offseason is what happens with Walker Kessler's free agency.
All indications are that the Jazz have all the leverage, but also that said leverage doesn't mean Kessler will make it easy for them. This will not be an easy process this summer, though fans should not expect the Jazz to let this play out as Golden State did with Jonathan Kuminga.
With all of that out there, ESPN's Bobby Marks asked Utah specifically what Kessler would cost, but he also asked perhaps an even more important question that will definitely factor into how his free agency goes.
"Who exactly would Utah be bidding against?" Marks asked. "Currently, the only teams projected to have substantial cap space this summer are the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers."
The Bulls are an interesting team because there may not be an NBA team more desperate for a center than them, but it's possible they may look towards the draft to address that concern. The Nets already have Nicolas Claxton, and the Lakers' cap space will primarily be used to keep Austin Reaves. Once that situation's settled, they likely wouldn't have room left to be a threat.
Will the Jazz lowball him as much as possible or show their loyalty?
For all the leverage Utah has in this situation, Kessler isn't like Kuminga or Quentin Grimes. He is a proven commodity who by all means should be of great use for the Jazz with what they want to do next season.
It would be great to have one of the league's best rim protectors and fiercest rebounders on a discount, but that could rub Kessler the wrong way, putting his long-term future with Utah at risk.
At the same time, if they cave and give him all the money he wants when they likely won't have anyone to compete with, many will ask why overpay when there will likely be no one to compete against?
It's why this situation will get hairy if neither side budges. The longer it drags out, the hairier it gets. The only leverage Kessler has is he knows the Jazz will go all-in starting next season, meaning they can't afford to lose what he brings to the court.
Utah also knows what they will pay Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. going forward and have to pay Keyonte George. Kessler is definitely a starter on a playoff team and should be paid like one. The Jazz are aware of that, but if Kessler wants franchise player money, this could get uncomfortable.