Because of how messy things have come between the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga, some are afraid that the Utah Jazz could do the same with Walker Kessler after he did not extend it this summer. Even if the situation may be comparable to that of Kuminga next summer, there is one thing that Kessler De Jazz gives that Kuminga is not with the Warriors not with the Warriors: a clearly defined role.
It has already been discussed why jazz fans should not expect them to approach Kessler in the same way as the Warriors with Kuminga. There is another important difference between the two that an important elephant in the room for Golden State will be: Kuminga plays no role in the team.
When the Warriors took over Jimmy Butler at the Trade Deadline, it essentially reduced the role of Kuminga in the team, as Butler does almost everything that Kuminga does, but at an all-star level. Now that they will both have for the time being, the Kuminga’s role in the team makes even more ambiguous when the team is at full power.
It is not as if Kuminga is a scrub or something, but his inconsistent role with the team is still Murkier with Butler, because Kuminga was planted firmly in the doghouse before Stephen Curry was injured. Although the fifth -year wing can set up figures, it is still not clear how effective a basketball player he is.
The jazz does not have the same problem with Kessler. Of course, there were some doubts about him for a while after a second -year student in 2024, but he achieved that a thing of the past, and even when he did not play his second year too big, he was still a productive player.
Since he proved what he was made of, Utah has known exactly what it has in Kessler. Golden State cannot say the same about Kuminga, even if they have just paid him eight digits.
The only way Kessler has a Kuminga-like summer next year
The only way Utah would even entertain Kessler with Kessler in 2026 in 2026 is if he still has a malaise this season. Inconsistency is what Kuminga’s hope in the long term extended period. If Kessler shows that he cannot be trusted as a consistent year-in year, that could convince Utah to lower the price when extending him.
Kessler, however, looked more like his old self last season, while he established that he is one of the best rebounders in the NBA. It would be shocking to see him deteriorate again If he has been proven a lot. Moreover, it would be so bad for him to refuse again in a contract year.
Never say never, but with Kessler, who has already shown Utah, they have a keeper in him, expects him to be a jazzman for a while.
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