The Utah Jazz already checked off one of their biggest offseason goals by getting the No. 2 pick. Regardless of who they pick, their future is set. Once they sort that out, perhaps their next biggest priority will be Walker Kessler's extension. Kessler himself seems to already be getting ahead on that, as he's seemingly indicated he's all-in on returning to Utah.
On Kessler's personal Instagram, he shared a reel of his highlights with the Jazz with the caption, "Get ready" with a mouth zipped shut emoji.
In case you haven’t seen, Walker Kessler posted some of his Jazz highlights on IG today with the caption “Get ready.”
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) May 12, 2026
👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/jgR0f1tvAX
This seems... telling.
It's hard to see how Utah could mess up the Kessler situation. Unless he takes the qualifying offer - and he really shouldn't, knowing the long-term ramifications - Kessler should try to get the best offer possible on the free agency market.
It seems as though even he knows that one way or the other, he'll return to Utah, where everyone is greatly anticipating his return to the team. Not only has he been out for a while, but he'll be returning to a team that expects itself to be in the hunt for a playoff spot with his skillset expected to play a vital role in that.
That doesn't mean it won't get ugly
Reading between the lines, it really seems as though Kessler knows he'll be a Jazzman next season. It's all a matter of how much he'll cost to come back. He's not a star or anything, but it's fair to assume he is a difference maker on this team that they can't replace.
All indications are that neither side will make it easy on the other this summer. In fact, one could even argue that Kessler posted that reel to amplify the pressure on Utah to pay him what he wants because of what the team would be missing without him.
Working against him is that not many teams will have cap room, the ones that do will probably look at other options first, and, more than anything else, the Jazz can match whatever offer he gets.
His leverage is not great, but it's not like this will be a repeat of what we saw go down between Golden State and Jonathan Kuminga last summer. The Jazz want to keep Kessler around for the long haul, and he wants to stay at the right price.
His latest Instagram post suggests his main priority is to stay in Utah. Now, the ball is in their court to let him know just how mutual the feeling is between the two sides.
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