Utah Jazz fans got something of an update on Walker Kessler and his contract situation during media day activities on Monday. From the sound of it, the big man isn't too satisfied with the fact that he doesn't yet have an extension offer.
"I'm definitely a little frustrated," Kessler said. "But regardless, I love Utah. I love the fanbase, I love my teammates, I love the coaches. And as long as I have a Utah Jazz jersey on, I will play winning basketball ... For as long as I'm here, I'm going to play winning basketball."
While acknowledging his frustration, Kessler also made it clear that he doesn't really care to talk about his contract situation once the season gets going. He said that he figured he would get a question regarding an extension during media day, but that he doesn't really want to address it any more than he has to after this, knowing that it could become a distraction.
This is all a bit of a tricky situation because of the combination of pressure for the Jazz to get a deal done and Kessler's obvious discontent with nothing happening to this point. The longer Utah waits, the more it could send the message that they see Walker as expendable.
Walker Kessler on potentially not getting an extension: "I'm definitely a little frustrated ... as long as I have a Utah Jazz jersey on I will play winning basketball."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) September 29, 2025
Kessler is "frustrated" a deal hasn't been made
This situation also means that the upcoming season and Kessler's performance in it will have a pretty large impact on what ends up happening with a potential extension. If Kessler has a monster year, his value is obviously going to increase dramatically, which would in turn increase pressure on Utah to overpay so that they avoid losing him for nothing.
As Kessler mentioned, these types of talks and dragging into a season do have the potential to create distractions, or internal tension concerning the future. This is perfectly understandable, because it's essentially a question of you not knowing where you and your family will live a few months into the future. That kind of thing will naturally stay at the back of people's minds no matter how focused they are on being a great basketball player.
The fanbase might interpret this whole situation as the franchise undervaluing Kessler, but it's important to note that Austin Ainge re-stated that the team does value him. "We're big fans of Walker, and have talked with him and his people all summer, and hope to have him around long term, whether that's in agreement now or later, but we're big fans of Walker," Ainge said.
As of right now, it's looking like Kessler will be entering next summer as a restricted free agent. That's not the end of the world just yet, but there are certainly reasons for Jazz fans to feel a little uneasy.