At the moment, everyone is focusing on who the Utah Jazz will pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. That's all understandable, but once that's taken care of, all eyes will be on Walker Kessler's upcoming free agency. All indications are that he will be a Jazzman this coming season, but the reason is as obvious as it is simple: keeping him puts the Jazz in contention.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie delved into this while discussing the Lakers options this summer. He believes it won't matter what kind of money he gets because Utah will pay that price to be among the best.
"I'm assuming the Jazz are just going to match Walker Kessler at this point. They have no reason not to... I wonder if the Jazz just match whatever the number is on Kessler at the end of the day because they're moving into a new era and they want to be able to contend."
It kinda is confirming what everyone already knows. Keeping Kessler more or less helps put the Jazz on the highest level possible as one of the league's best rim protectors who helps them with one of their biggest holes (defense) immensely.
There's no need to mess with something that has all the makings of working beautifully. Sure, a team like the Lakers or the Bulls could make the Jazz uncomfortable, but that shouldn't deter them from paying him.
The real question will be whether he's a long-term factor
Utah is in such excellent position that it's easy to forget that it won't stay this way. Eventually, they will have to pay Keyonte George and Ace Bailey down the line. When they do, they will have to trade some guys to compensate for the younger talent.
Kessler might be a casualty of this simply because Utah will pick Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. over him. However, he is younger than both of those two (though not exactly young period) who showed glimpses of being the jack-of-all-trades center the Jazz need to succeed in the postseason.
It will be tough for the Jazz to have to pick between an All-Star-caliber player like Markkanen/JJJ or a guy who fills a lot of holes like Kessler. It will depend on who looks more expendable by the times the 2020s end.
Even so, Utah will cross that bridge when they come to it, which will be years from now. The Kessler situation will be resolved months from now, and the prevailing theory remains the same.
The Jazz will pay him, come what may.
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