Yeah, we know. This act is getting a bit tiring because the Utah Jazz are not trading Walker Kessler. Last we heard anything on the subject, it seems pretty much confirmed that the plan is to keep him. However, that hasn't stopped trades from being floated. Especially ones where it serves Jazz absolutely no benefit.
Such is the case with Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus's latest proposed trade between the Jazz, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. He proposed the following trade between the three teams.
Celtics receive: Kessler, $27.7 million
Heat receive: Anfernee Simons, draft rights to John Tonje, $3.9 million Jaime Jaquez Jr. TPE
Jazz receive: Terry Rozier, Neemias Queta, Jaquez, 2026 Celtics protected first-round pick, 2026 Celtics second-round pick, 2029 Heat protected first-round swap (top-five protected), $5.5 million from the Celtics, $4.9 million from the Heat
For the Celtics, not only do they get a badly-needed big man, but they also save a ton of money, so of course they would make a trade like this. The Heat are basically upgrading from Rozier to Simons while acquiring some young talent for their troubles.
What do the Jazz get out of this? Pincus explained why they would agree to a trade like this.
"The young core of players (and veteran Lauri Markkanen) will struggle to learn how to win, but that's how teams like the Thunder have rebuilt in recent years. Should the Jazz commit financially to Kessler when the team is far from contending?
"The answer, right now, is 'no,' considering he's been extension-eligible since early July. If the sides are far enough apart, Utah should cash him out in trade. A down season could hurt his value, and if the team doesn't expect to win much this year, will Kessler shine as a trade piece if the team wins 15-25 games?"
Pincus also explained why Jaquez, Queta, and Rozier would appeal to the Jazz, but the real headline from the Jazz's end in this trade idea is trading Kessler. Getting back to Pincus' rationale, if Utah thought Kessler was not worth keeping around, they would have traded him already.
Also, if Kessler has a down season (not likely given the season he just had and his restricted free agency coming up), then that's fantastic for the Jazz. It means they could get him cheaper than what he is worth.
Teams that are hoping to build a contender hope to get good players for cheap, so if the Jazz can get Kessler's production on a discount long-term, there'd be little desire to trade him. If Kessler had become an RFA this offseason, he would understandably demand the Brinks truck, and Utah would give it to him.
There's no need to mess with something that's working. Kessler is a good enough player that if Utah truly considered trading him, it would be for an upgrade.
It's time to put the Walker Kessler trade rumors to bed
A trade idea like this is based on the belief that the Jazz will entertain trading Kessler, and while that's been fueled by last offseason's trade rumors involving the young big man, the misunderstanding from the situation is that Utah was itching to get rid of him. They weren't. They were actually trying to see if they could sell him off for more than he's worth if a team wanted him that badly.
That offer wasn't on the table, so Kessler stayed, and all fingers point to him sticking around. It's very possible that a year from now (or perhaps even less time), the Jazz's perception of Kessler will flip on its head. They may trade him next year, but it won't be for something like this.