The Utah Jazz didn't get any players back in the Walker Kessler trade - and they were pretty smart for passing on taking any of the Lakers' albatrosses - but besides the treasure trove of draft picks, they also got a $15 million trade exception.
Odds are, they won't use it right away, but it should come in handy once NBA teams know what their short-term and long-term prospects are. Among those teams should definitely be the Milwaukee Bucks. Whether they like it or not, the Bucks will enter a rebuilding after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It's going to get bad, pending any unforeseen and unbelievable breakouts. If they want to make the most of their situation (and losing most of their assets is pretty bad), they should look to improve their long-term cap flexibility and get any draft capital they can. Someone who can help them in that regard is A.J. Green, and a team that could use him is the Jazz.
Green has blossomed into an elite sharpshooter
This idea has come up before the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes came to a temporary halt. Without repeating what's already been said, Green is one of the NBA's best floor spacers. If it weren't for the fact that the Bucks are going to a major stepback, it would be in their best interest to keep him.
But because they are going to be pretty much in the same place Utah has been for the past four years, there's little point in keeping him around. That's why he's the perfect target for the Walker Kessler trade exception. Jake Weinbach made this exact point.
I would keep an eye on the Jazz as a potential suitor for AJ Green if the Bucks entertain offers for the sharpshooting guard.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) August 27, 2026
Utah could absorb Green’s $10M salary using their $15.1M TPE from the Walker Kessler deal, and would benefit from adding an elite shooter off the bench. https://t.co/iso1qb3UN8
It's not that he can shoot from distance, but also that Milwaukee consistently asked him to shoot, and he proved how much of a weapon he could be. This past season, he put up 7.1 three-points attempts a game shooting almost 42% from distance.
The Jazz have plenty of shooting. In fact, there are other areas they may try to address with the Kessler exception before thinking about bringing in Green. However, Green is an asset who's never really gotten to play for a team on the rise. Only on one that's been on a steady decline.
The Jazz have had success with sharpshooters on their previous playoff teams, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Hornacek. Green could keep that tradition alive. Again, they have good shooters, but lack one at the level of Green or any of the other aforementioned Jazz alumni.
TPEs don't typically fetch back quality players, so it's not like the Jazz will have a ton of options to choose from. Realistically speaking, with the assets the Jazz can offer and Green's appeal, he might be the best way to use the Kessler TPE.
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