Utah's roster finally stabilizes with the announcement that the team is expected to sign its starting big.
In an age where decent-to-good centers come more and more challenging to come by, the fact that the Utah Jazz are narrowing in on retaining Walker Kessler through restricted free agency is a giant breath of fresh air.
According to Tim Bontemps, Utah expects to resign their starting center for between $25-$30 million dollars per year.
Thank goodness Utah is handling their business in-house. The team had attempted to reach an agreement last offseason, but Kessler and his team pushed back against the team's original offer and instigated a standstill, putting Kessler's status in limbo for the entire 2025-26 season.
This news makes two critical points for the Jazz.
First, Kessler's deal would make him one of the highest-paid centers in the league. But considering what the market would be for Kessler if another team (say, Los Angeles) drafted up an offer sheet at the onset of restricted free agency, the Jazz could have been forced to pay an obscene sum to retain their starting big.
Second, Walker Kessler's spot with the Jazz was absolutely load-bearing considering the team's objective for the season. Utah traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. at last season's deadline with the specific intent of pairing him alongside Kessler in the backcourt.
The pair make what could be the most formidable shot-blocking conglomerate in all of basketball, both of whom regularly average 2 or more blocks per game. Keeping Kessler was the utmost priority, and checking his name off the to-do list feels terrific.
Despite playing in just five games last season, Kessler's absence was immediately apparent for the Jazz, who plummeted from being somewhat serviceable on defense to entirely anemic on that end. No real rim-protection to speak of -- sorry, Jusuf Nurkic, but the awesome streak of triple-doubles didn't exactly include a 10-block night -- meant the Jazz's objective of maximizing their loss column became that much more straightforward.
In 2026-27, however, Utah has different plans.
Pairing Kessler alongside JJJ and Markkanen give Utah's 3 through 5 positions elite size, with Jackson being the only of the trio who doesn't eclipse 7 feet. He's 6'11". In an increasingly positionless NBA, the Jazz are prepared to push the boundaries and craft what may be a truly unmatchable starting five -- especially if the guard positions are filled by Darryn Peterson (6'6") and Ace Bailey (6'10").
The team has yet to see a lineup that includes both Kessler and JJJ, but the possibilities have Jazz fans excitedly anticipating a season for the first time in a long time.
