The Utah Jazz have some questions to answer this offseason.
One of them is regarding the future of big man Walker Kessler. The 24-year-old is hitting restricted free agency, although reports surfaced on Monday that he is “at odds” with how the franchise has handled the contract situation.
Difficult day for the Jazz on the optics front: Here you have Darryn Peterson refusing to work out for the team with the No. 2 pick, one year after Ace Bailey did the same (when they had No. 5).
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 15, 2026
Meanwhile, sources tell @TheAthletic that a player who does want to be there – big…
On the other hand, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that the Jazz would be prepared to match any offer sheet Kessler receives, so it’s an interesting situation in Utah.
“The expectation around the league is that the Utah Jazz will match any offer sheet Walker Kessler receives, and executives hold a similar view regarding Detroit and Jalen Duren,” Woike wrote on Monday.
Kessler was selected 22nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. However, he played just five games this past season after he suffered a left shoulder labral tear.
The consensus in the league is that the Jazz will sign Kessler to a $25–$30 million per year deal, so it will be worth monitoring once free agency begins.
