Jazz Big Man Walker Kessler Expresses His Desire to Stay in Utah
· Yahoo Sports
Even though they haven't settled on a number yet, the Utah Jazz and Walker Kessler agree on one thing: the big man should remain in Salt Lake City for years to come.
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While the Jazz's contract conversations with Kessler, which date back to last season, have been somewhat rocky, the soon-to-be 25-year-old made it clear on social media that he doesn't want to be anywhere other than Utah.
"I’ve seen what’s being said, and I want it to be clear that I have always wanted to be here — I love this city, these fans, my teammates, my coaches — that’s real to me. You don’t grow roots where you don’t want to be," Kessler posted to his Instagram on Wednesday.
Kessler reportedly rejected the Jazz's $140 million, five-year offer, which would pay the rebounding specialist $28 million annually.
A great case study for what Kessler's value may look like is actually his teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Back in 2021, Jackson signed a four-year, $104.7 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies. Since a new collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2023, we'll use the 19% of Memphis' salary cap Jackson commanded as the comparable figure here.
The extension took place before Jackson made his first All-Star team. Jackson's defensive skills were better than Kessler's are now, but the latter holds a significant advantage in rebounding.
Utah's current offer to Kessler would grant him between 14% and 15% of the total cap. If he were granted the same cut Jackson was, the Jazz would need to raise their offer to five years at $190 million.
That's a steep price — especially considering all the money Utah will eventually need to hand out. Keyonte George will need to be paid soon. Ace Bailey might as well. The Jazz will need available cap space to maintain flexibility and nurture the young core they've built.
Realistically, paying Kessler more than the current offer likely handcuffs Danny and Austin Ainge moving forward in terms of the moves they can pull off.
While Kessler wants to remain in Utah, he'll have to bring that asking price down. He could always test the open market in free agency, where he'll certainly have suitors, but it's tough to imagine one of the Jazz's rivals being willing to pay the young big man nearly $40 million annually.
That could change, but just under two weeks from the opening of unrestricted free agency, the list of teams wanting to hand Kessler a monster extension can't be all that long.