Walker Kessler isn't some scrub by any means. His 2023-2024 campaign was less than stellar, mostly due to head coach Will Hardy using him as inconsistently as he did. Offensively, that was justified, as he showed a lack of touch around the rim. If he wasn't running in transition or in the dunker's spot, Kessler wasn't much of a scorer, but defensively he still shined.
He and Kris Dunn were the Jazz's most consistent defensive players all season, and the defense suffered immensely when he was off the court. Mostly due to John Collins playing a lot of the five-spot on the court. Kessler was Collins' primary backup and while Collins shot well, a far improvement from his last season in Atlanta, he was easily the worst defensive big the team head.
Kessler was a step up in that regard, but his offensive limitations have people worried. Some believe he isn't long for Utah and that may be true, after all, the Utah Jazz did speak to three centers at the NBA Draft Combine. Interviews were conducted with Donovan Clingan, Alex Sarr, and Zach Edey, Sarr and Clingan are both seen as Top 10 picks and both have been mocked in the first-overall spot multiple times, with Sarr being seen as the more likely option between the two.
Edey is likely a late-first-round, early-second-round pick, both spots the Utah Jazz have draft picks in. He's a good rebounder, with some pretty impressive offensive skills, and his arrival in Salt Lake may not be the worst thing in the world.
Sarah Todd of Desert News believes that the Utah Jazz may still be interested in Kessler long-term. The mere fact they're interviewing guys like Sarr and Clingan makes it seem likely that they're only in on Kessler right now because they haven't secured his replacement. That's mere speculation, but it's very likely that if the Jazz had a chance at Sarr or Clingan, they'd draft them in a heartbeat.
Even if it meant Kessler was traded soon after.