There have been speed bumps along the way, but Walker Kessler has played well enough that it's in the Utah Jazz's best interest to keep him. However, it's clear the young Jazzman won't sign a team-friendly deal. While he could take his chances on the open market, what's working against him is the lack of realistic competition for his services this summer.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon revealed during the latest episode of "The Hoop Collective" that because Utah and Kessler are far apart on his price tag, fans better brace for quite the staring contest between the two sides this summer.
"Here's what I'll tell you: the Jazz have a number in mind. I think they are comfortable in the $25 million per range, and Walker Kessler and his reps at CAA believe he's worth much, much more than that," MacMahon said. "Now, some options have disappeared. But I'm just telling you, that's going to be a potentially very tense and extended restricted free agency process."
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The Jazz are on the precipice of something special after the JJJ trade and their supposedly shameful tank netting them another high lottery pick. However, it's inarguable that Kessler has to be part of that.
Reading the tea leaves from what MacMahon says, Kessler himself is quite aware of that, which is why he wants the most money possible. He's got a solid case for it, too, but there's a problem: who's giving him what he wants?
The future auction for Kessler took a massive hit at the deadline. Washington and Indiana, two teams that had cap space before the deadline, basically dropped out with the trades they made - Anthony Davis and Ivica Zubac respectively - which leaves Kessler with fewer options, and he didn't have that many to begin with.
Kessler's stuck between a rock & a hard place
Another option is that a team could trade away players to open up the cap room to bring Kessler in. There's a problem with strategy too: it wouldn't be to add Kessler outright but to sign him to a cap sheet. Does a team really want to go through all that trouble when all that would do is force the Jazz to pay up?
It'd be great for Kessler for obvious reasons, but that's lot of work for nothing in the end, so it's difficult to see it happening. It is a shame that the Jazz center has been put in this position. However, that's just how it works with restricted free agents. Even ones as good as him.
It's possible the Jazz could up their price to appease Kessler, but they have to be careful too. They're paying Jackson and Lauri Markkanen a lot for what they bring, but that's understandable. However, they also have to think about Keyonte George's extension, and it won't be too long from now where they'll have to think about Ace Bailey's.
Kessler deserves a raise, but whether he likes it or not, Utah's in the driver's seat for how big a raise.