Because of how messy things got between the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga, some are afraid the Utah Jazz might do the same with Walker Kessler after not extending him this summer. However, even if the situation next summer might be similar to Kuminga's, there's one thing Kessler gives the Jazz that Kuminga doesn't with the Warriors: a clearly defined role.
It's already been talked about why Jazz fans shouldn't expect them to approach Kessler the same way the Warriors did with Kuminga. There's another key difference between the two of them that will be a major elephant in the room for Golden State: Kuminga doesn't have a role on the team.
When the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, it essentially diminished Kuminga's role on the team, as Butler does pretty much everything Kuminga does, but at an All-Star level. Now that they will have both for the time being, it makes Kuminga's role on the team even more ambiguous when the team is at full strength.
It's not like Kuminga is a scrub or anything, but his inconsistent role with the team gets even murkier with Butler, as Kuminga was firmly planted in the doghouse before Stephen Curry got hurt. While the fifth-year wing can put up numbers, it's still not clear how effective of a basketball player he is.
The Jazz don't have the same problem with Kessler. Sure, for a time, there were some doubts about him after a sophomore slump in 2024, but he made that a thing of the past, and even when he didn't play too great his second year, he was still a productive player nonetheless.
Ever since he proved what he was made of, Utah has known exactly what it has in Kessler. Golden State can't say the same about Kuminga even if they just paid him eight figures.
The only way Kessler has a Kuminga-like summer next year
The only way Utah would even entertain playing hardball with Kessler in 2026 is if he has yet another slump this season. Inconsistency is what doomed Kuminga's hopes of getting a long-term extension period. If Kessler shows he too can't be trusted to be consistent year-in and year-out, that could persuade Utah to drive the price down on extending him.
However, Kessler looked more like his old self last season while establishing he's one of the NBA's best rebounders. It would be shocking to see him regress again when he's proven plenty. Plus, it would be such a bad look for him to decline again in a contract year.
Never say never, but with Kessler having already shown Utah they've got a keeper in him, expect him to be a Jazzman for some time.