A quality big man is one of the most valuable assets in today's NBA, and the Utah Jazz have a decision to make with their big man, Walker Kessler. He has gathered buzz around the league, especially with the Lakers in their push to compete for a title.
Kessler provides an interesting dynamic for the Jazz's front office to try and maneuver through, as he is a young asset that has shown flashes and could be a core piece moving forward, but he could fetch a nice price in the trade market while the Jazz are still not quite ready to compete.
Jake Fischer told the Stein Line that the Jazz have turned down multiple offers for Kessler so far this season. Kessler may be in a similar situation to Lauri Markkanen last season, where the Jazz are only willing to give him up to a team that's ready to overpay for his services.
Kessler needs to go
Kessler has had a nice bounce-back season after a sophomore slump, which puts his trade stock at an all-time high. The Jazz can sell high on Kessler to a team, like the Lakers, who are desperate to capitalize on their championship window with LeBron and Anthony Davis.
With the upcoming draft class being pretty deep at the top, acquiring more draft capital can allow the Jazz to maneuver into two potential lottery picks, further accelerating their rebuild and potentially allowing them to begin competing sooner in the West.
Kessler is a solid piece on a contending team, but in the Jazz's situation, he is a luxury too rich for them. Would he be worth the extension in the offseason? Wouldn't it make more sense to get capital back now if his extension price is too high? And not just consolation capital but also top trade value for a center.
Waiting for the deadline is the best option
Moves around the NBA will only continue picking up steam from here, so we will soon see what the trade market looks like. When the first big man is involved in a deal, Kessler's value will only go up, though it will depend on which big and what he goes for when he gets traded.
Kessler will likely be a top-three center in the trade market, so if Jonas Valanciunas brings in at least one first-rounder, Kessler's value may be able to get 2 or more for the Jazz, depending on the trade and team.
Teams will also get more desperate as other centers disappear from the market and options dwindle. The Jazz won't part with Kessler for low or even fair value. If anything, they want to be given their money's worth for Kessler and then some. If they can exercise some patience and get a little lucky, they can get everything they want and more from a Kessler deal.