NBA Rumors: Walker Kessler Moves Away from Los Angeles Lakers
The Utah Jazz center could finally stay in Salt Lake City as they have him in mind for the franchise's reconstruction and future.
Utah Jazz has taken the first step to try to keep Walker Kessler in the long-term project. The franchise has presented a one-year, seven million dollar qualifying offer to their starting center, as reported by Tony Jones of The Athletic.
The decision allows the player to enter restricted free agency, although Utah will retain the option to match any offer received from another franchise.
Tensions with the franchise persist
The player's contractual situation comes with a context that had already caused friction in the past.
Sam Amick, also from The Athletic, previously reported that Kessler had differences with the front office due to the lack of a contract renewal proposal last year and the handling of his contractual situation.
Meanwhile, the center's name has recently been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, as noted by Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
An injury affects his market situation
Kessler missed most of the 2025-26 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in November to repair a labrum tear.
This injury could impact his chances of securing a long-term, high-value contract this summer. Nevertheless, his youth and previous performance keep his potential intact.
An important piece for Utah's future
Since arriving in Utah in July 2022 as part of the deal that sent Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kessler has shown qualities to become a key part of the project.
His best season came in 2024-25 when he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in 58 starts.
Additionally, he was the only player in the entire NBA to average at least four offensive rebounds per game that season.
His defensive impact has also been highly valued. In his last full season, only five players allowed a lower shooting percentage than the 54.8% Kessler conceded from within five feet of the hoop.
Utah focuses on the long term
After extending Lauri Markkanen's contract for five years and 238 million dollars, it seemed that Kessler would be the next player to receive a significant financial investment from the franchise.
However, the Jazz continue to build their project with a long-term view. The organization had a disappointing outcome in the 2025 Draft lottery, dropping to the fifth pick despite finishing with the worst record in the league and sharing the best odds.
Nevertheless, Austin Ainge, the team's basketball operations president, stated that the franchise has no intention to alter lineups or limit minutes of their top players to deliberately lose games.
The commitment to the future continues with names like Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey, Jaren Jackson Jr., and the 2026 second overall draft pick.
The market will determine his value
Kessler, who was already involved in trade rumors last summer, could end up being part of Utah's future core.
Before making a final decision, the center will at least have the opportunity to find out his market value, provided the Jazz allow another franchise to set that price.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: Walker Kessler se aleja de Los Angeles Lakers
