The Utah Jazz decided to wait it out a year with Walker Kessler's contract situation. While doing so may be better for the team and its cap situation, going this route could be a slippery slope towards a Kessler exit. Even worse, it could lead to the worst possible scenario: losing Kessler for nothing or very little.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer revealed that the Jazz and Kessler aren't close on an extension, meaning he will be a restricted free agent. He also added that Utah may revisit potentially dangling Kessler in trade talks, while mentioning which teams have expressed interest in the Jazz center in the past.
"The Jazz and Walker Kessler, meanwhile, have no current momentum on an extension, sources say. Kessler is expected to enter restricted free agency next summer... while the Jazz decide in coming months whether to act upon the ongoing trade interest they are sure to receive in the 24-year-old center.
"We've written extensively about the Lakers' past trade interest in Kessler and I’m told Phoenix also weighed an approach for Kessler in the summer before the Suns went forward with their draft-night trade to acquire Williams from Charlotte," Fischer wrote.
Kessler is coming off a resurgence last season, making it clear he still very much is one of the league's best rim protectors while also establishing himself as one of the league's best rebounders. There's no denying what Kessler can do, just like there's no denying he has probably already reached his peak as a player.
Whether he has or hasn't, Utah is putting itself between a rock and hard place with Kessler if the team isn't unsure of Kessler's long-term place on the team. When Kessler was on the market, the Jazz made it pretty clear that they would not settle for anything less than a godfather-like offer for him.
Understandable, but if the Jazz don't really know if they want to do with him, this opens the door for them to lose Kessler. Not right away, but if he truly is insulted by the Jazz's steadfast hesitance to keep him around, this could very well lead to him taking the qualifying offer next summer, which would invite so much uncertainty for the Jazz.
This notion may look silly a year from now if the Jazz either lock up Kessler long-term or get exceptional value for him in a trade, but going this route opens the door for them to lose a valuable contributor and for potentially much less than they could have had they lowered their price tag in the first place.
Kessler's frustration makes the situation even scarier
During Jazz Media Day, Kessler made it clear he didn't want to discuss his extension, but he also added that he was frustrated by the fact that he and his camp could not work out a deal with the Jazz this summer.
Him being in trade rumors (again) may further fuel his frustration, which could affect extension talks next summer if Utah decides not to pull a trigger on a trade. Even if the Jazz made it clear that they didn't extend him only because it was in their best financial interest to wait until next year, that may not stop Kessler from taking what happened this summer personally.
Evidently. the Jazz are willing to cross that bridge when they come to it, but they better hope said bridge isn't burned to a crisp before they do.