The Utah Jazz seem to have a new rising star big man in their possession, and his name is Kyle Filipowski.
Following a solid rookie season out in Salt Lake City, the Duke product finds himself dominating during this year's Summer League, as he's leading the offseason exhibitions with 29.3 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.
His emergence in Las Vegas shouldn't come as all that great of a shock to Jazz fans, as he managed to showcase serious potential in his debut campaign last year despite being severely limited in the minutes department due to the club's overabundance of frontcourt talents.
Now, with the club's decision to clear out some space down at the four and five spots, the 21-year-old has an opportunity to not only fight for a starting nod in his upcoming sophomore season but to officially push someone like Walker Kessler out the door.
Walker Kessler's days with Jazz may be numbers thanks to Kyle Filipowski
Since arriving in Utah back in 2022, Kessler has established himself as a quality young contributor on the hardwood. Simultaneously, with his sound play coinciding with Utah's consistent losing, he's also become a frequent resident on the league's trade rumor mill.
The former first-round pick has been linked to a number of teams across the league over the last few years, particularly contending squads looking for both big-man depth and defensive help.
With his build of 7-feet, 245 pounds coupled with his career average of 2.4 blocks per game, an elite blocks percentage of 8.4, and a defensive rating of 113 per 100 possessions, Kessler seems to fit the bill for such a talent.
Now, despite the well-documented interest, Danny Ainge and company have been rather reluctant to part ways with the 23-year-old, especially with their center position being rather weak outside of him.
However, with the recent addition of Jusuf Nurkic this summer and the ongoing breakout of Kyle Filipowski, now more than ever, it appears that Kessler could realistically be seen as a sell-high commodity heading into 2025-26.
While the Jazz have reportedly been hell-bent on trying to net the value of two first-round picks in exchange for the center's services, with this newfound depth at the five, perhaps the franchise would be more open to receiving differing return offers.
Walker Kessler may have proven himself to be an impressive role player for Utah these past few years, but, if Filipowski's breakout proves to be legitimate, it goes without saying that his modern-era, inside-out style of play would be far more desirable at the pivot than the former's back-to-the-basket, old-school approach.
Flipping him and his final year under contract for more future-focused assets may be the way to go should Flip's Summer League ascension be for real, especially if he's considered a serious flight risk next summer anyway.