The Utah Jazz decided to wait it out a year due to Walker Kessler’s contract situation. While this may be better for the team and cap situation, going this route could be a slippery slope toward a Kessler exit. Worse, it could lead to the worst possible scenario: losing Kessler for nothing or very little.
NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed that the Jazz and Kessler are not close to an extension, meaning he will be a restricted free agent. He also added that Utah may revisit the potentially dangling Kessler in trade talks, while mentioning which teams have shown interest in the Jazz center in the past.
The Jazz and Walker Kessler currently have no momentum for an extension, sources say. Kessler is expected to enter restricted free agency next summer … while the Jazz will decide in the coming months whether to respond to the continued trade interest they are sure to receive in the 24-year-old center.
“We’ve written extensively about the Lakers’ past trade interest in Kessler and I’m told Phoenix also considered an approach for Kessler over the summer before the Suns went ahead with their draft night trade to acquire Williams from Charlotte,” Fischer wrote.
Kessler is having a resurgence last season, making it clear that he is still one of the league’s best rim protectors while also establishing himself as one of the league’s best rebounders. There’s no denying what Kessler can do, just as there’s no denying that he’s probably already reached his peak as a player.
Whether he has or not, Utah puts itself in a tough spot with Kessler if the team isn’t unsure about Kessler’s place on the team long-term. When Kessler hit the market, the Jazz made it pretty clear that they wouldn’t settle for anything less than a godfather-like offer for him.
Understandable, but if the Jazz don’t really know if they want to do anything with him, it opens the door for them to lose Kessler. Not right away, but if he’s really offended by the Jazz’s persistent reluctance to keep him around, it could very well lead to him taking the qualifying offer next summer, which would bring so much uncertainty for the Jazz.
This idea may seem foolish a year from now if the Jazz lock up Kessler long-term or get exceptional value for him in a trade, but going this route opens the door for them to lose a valuable contributor and for potentially much less than they could have done if they had lowered their price tag in the first place.
Kessler’s frustration makes the situation even scarier
During Jazz Media Day, Kessler made it clear that he did not want to discuss his extension, but he also added that he was frustrated by his and his camp’s failure to reach a deal with the Jazz this summer.
Being embroiled in trade rumors (again) could further fuel his frustration, which could impact expansion talks next summer if Utah decides not to pull the trigger on a trade. Even if the Jazz made it clear that they weren’t extending him just because it was in their best financial interest to wait until next year, that wouldn’t stop Kessler from taking what happened this summer personally.
Evidently. the Jazz are willing to cross that bridge when they get there, but they better hope it doesn’t burn before they do.
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