Over the past few days, there have been multiple reports from NBA reporters around the country indicating that contract negotiations between the Utah Jazz and restricted free agent center Walker Kessler are not going well, thus putting Kessler’s future with the Jazz in question.
On Wednesday evening, Kessler himself took a somewhat uncommon step in this day and age, as he posted on Instagram essentially stating his desire to stay with the Jazz.
“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.
In the post, Kessler included seven photos of his time in Utah since being part of the trade that sent Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022.
The 24-year-old Kessler (he’ll turn 25 next month) just finished the final season of his rookie contract and earned just shy of $5 million. However, he can now sign a contract that is expected to pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million to $30 million per season.
This is where things have reached a standstill, according to multiple reports.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that Kessler “is at odds” with the Jazz front office because the team did not extend his contract last summer when it had the chance to.
Furthermore, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that Kessler has declined a contract offer of five years and $140 million ($28 million per year) from the Jazz.
From the Jazz’s perspective, there are only a handful of centers in the NBA who are making that much money, and they are among the best in the league at the position.
Kessler, while he has developed very well and is in line for a major pay raise, has career averages of 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists per game — not the numbers of the most elite big men in the NBA.
Additionally, Utah will be in a salary crunch soon, as it already has big money committed to Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., and should have another large salary committed in the coming years to Keyonte George if he continues on his upward trajectory.
From Kessler’s perspective, it’s understandable that a player and his agent want as big of a contract as possible. Plus, as the NBA’s salary cap continues to rise, big contracts won’t be as impactful to a team’s bottom line.
Additionally, Kessler has been known to be a hot commodity around the league, as teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers have been reported to be particularly fond of him, along with some others.
From a business perspective, if the Jazz and Kessler do not reach an agreement on a contract this summer, Kessler would have a few options.
Given that he is a restricted free agent, he could sign a contract offer sheet with another team and then the Jazz would have the choice to match it or let him leave to the team that signs him.
Kessler could also sign a qualifying offer (this would likely come close to the start of the season if it happens), which would be a one-year deal with the Jazz for next season, after which he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer, free to sign with any team and Utah would not have the right to match it.
To be clear, Kessler could also re-sign with the Jazz as an unrestricted free agent next summer, although the acrimony around the qualifying offer scenario make this option seemingly quite unlikely.
From a basketball perspective, Utah has seemed to be all-in on building a uniquely jumbo frontcourt with Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler, and losing Kessler would be a big blow to that idea.
Kessler played in just five games last season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder early in the campaign. In those five games, the big man averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 blocks per contest.