Walker Kessler’s Camp: $25 Million a Year is Not Enough

The NBA trade deadline has passed, and there’s no denying that it was an eventful one, even if stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant didn’t end up getting moved. Around the league, though, impactful deals were made.

James Harden left the red-hot Clippers for the red-hot Cavs, but oddly enough, most of the big names that found new teams didn’t go to playoff contenders, but to lottery-bound teams that seem to be accelerating their rebuilds.

Trae Young and Anthony Davis were traded to the Wizards. Ivica Zubac went to the Pacers. Morant’s (now former) Grizzlies teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. got sent to the Jazz. It’s a sign that teams are no longer willing to wait until the offseason to begin gearing up for next year.

If there’s one thing that these moves accomplished, it’s that they have given basketball fans more insight than usual into how free agency will play out. Teams that had cap space now have very little due to their new acquisitions, which means that some difficult decisions will need to be made.

The Jazz are one of the most interesting cases here, because by adding JJJ to a frontcourt that already includes Lauri Markkanen, they’ve made it tough for themselves to keep Walker Kessler in the fold. Jackson just signed a four-year extension with Memphis this past summer for $205 million, and Markkanen is locked up for three more years himself at just under $50 million per year.

Kessler is out for the season after tearing his labrum just five games in, and he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Kessler’s camp and the Jazz are far apart on what he should be paid.

“Here’s what I’ll tell you,” MacMahon said on the newest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast. “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 is worth much, much more than that. Now, some options have disappeared, but that’s going to be a potentially very tense and extended restricted free agency process.”

It will be difficult for the Jazz to invest too heavily in Kessler, but not impossible. Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier have really popped, but since they’ll still be on their rookie deals, they make very little compared to the rest of the starting lineup.

The fact that Kessler is a restricted free agent also means the Jazz have the right to match any offer he gets on the open market, which gives them an advantage over other teams.

MacMahon is also right that some options for Kessler are no longer on the table. The Pacers had seemed like a possibility, but not now that they’ve acquired Zubac. The Lakers, long rumored to be interested in Kessler, will have a tough time signing him since they’ll also have to pay Austin Reaves this offseason. The Warriors traded for Kristaps Porzingis, so they’re probably out of the running, too.

There’s not only the question of whether the Jazz can afford to pay Kessler if another team makes a big offer, it’s a matter of whether they should. On the one hand, he seems like an ideal fit next to the sweet-shooting Markkanen and the defensive versatility but limited rebounding ability of JJJ.

Kessler is an excellent rim protector and shot-blocker, and keeping him would allow the Jazz to keep Jackson at the 4, his natural position.

On the other hand, Kessler’s injury history is troubling. At this moment, he’s played in only 125 out of a possible 201 games in his career, and by time this season is done, he’ll have played in under 55% of his team’s games. If a team is going to commit big money to a guy, they want to know he’ll be on the court for them.

Kessler is only 24, and with the way teams value rim protection, he’s probably going to get a contract he’s happy with from someone this summer. Whether it’s from the Jazz or someone else, we’ll have to wait and see.