The Utah Jazz have been the talk of the town lately, between Darryn Peterson's rather odd draft behavior and the rumors tying to Walker Kessler's free agency. A lot has happened over the past few days, especially over what the Jazz have offered Kessler and his reaction to it. With all the hoopla lately, Kessler has decided to set the record straight.
On his personal Instagram, Kessler made it clear that his preference, more than anything, is to stay in Utah.
"I’ve seen what’s being said, and I want it to be clear that I have always wanted to be here — I love this city, these fans, my teammates, my coaches — that’s real to me. You don’t grow roots where you don’t want to be," Kessler wrote with a purple heart and mountain emojis.
https://t.co/h1tzMRhgDa pic.twitter.com/7X4aPfn9HX
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) June 18, 2026
Note that the Jazz's official Instagram account liked his post.
Kessler doing this seems like a pretty good signal that he knows that he is staying in Utah one way or the other. It will all depend on who blinks first in this staring contest. If it's not clear, the Jazz are being proactive about this while also making it clear this is their offer.
It sounds like Kessler isn't opposed to staying but thinks that's an underwhelming offer for what he brings. This sets the tone for this offseason saga, but his latest message on Instagram signals that he wants to be in Utah for the long haul no matter what.
To be fair, no one said he didn't want to be in Utah
This all pretty much started when The Athletic's Sam Amick first reported that Kessler wanted to be in Utah but was also frustrated with how they've handled the situation.
Difficult day for the Jazz on the optics front: Here you have Darryn Peterson refusing to work out for the team with the No. 2 pick, one year after Ace Bailey did the same (when they had No. 5).
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 15, 2026
Meanwhile, sources tell @TheAthletic that a player who does want to be there - big…
So that was never in doubt. The question will be whether he agrees to the Jazz's terms in due time or does everything in his power to up the ante on his next deal. Better yet, if he comes back, will it be smooth sailing from here?
There's no telling what will happen next because Utah made it clear that they want Kessler and are willing to pay a pretty handsome price, but there is a limit. What reinforces their thought process with their offer for Kessler is that it's hard to see teams really pay up much more than what they are.
But it's cool to see that despite all the drama destined to show itself over the next several weeks, Kessler's loyalty to Utah isn't in question. For the time being.
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