We have barely seen Walker Kessler on the basketball court over the last 12 months, but he finds himself in the spotlight now. Kessler is a restricted free agent this summer, and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently reported that he has rejected a five-year, $140 million deal to stay with the Utah Jazz.
With rumors flying around regarding him, Kessler sent out a strong message on Instagram on Wednesday.
“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.”
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Utah has been home for Kessler for four years now. It was the Memphis Grizzlies who had originally selected him with the No. 22 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Kessler’s rights were then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who’d send him to the Jazz a few weeks later as part of the Rudy Gobert trade.
It became clear very early on in Kessler’s career that he had what it took to fill Gobert’s shoes one day. The Frenchman had won three Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Jazz, and the young center out of Auburn flashed incredible potential on that end of the floor.
Kessler finished his rookie season with averages of 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.4 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. He did take a step back in his sophomore campaign, but has produced at a high level since.
The 2025-26 season was looking likely to be Kessler’s best in the NBA. He put up impressive averages of 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks over his first five games.
Kessler also showed off his newfound range by shooting 75.0% from three. All was going well, but the 24-year-old then suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Kessler had to undergo surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the season. You did wonder at the time how this would impact contract negotiations in the summer.
Well, it was reported that Kessler wasn’t happy with how the Jazz’s front office was handling his restricted free agency. He was said to be already frustrated by the fact that the two sides couldn’t agree on an extension last summer.
That’s a fair complaint, but if we do go by what MacMahon reported, the offer on the table now is a good one. It’s the largest contract ever given to a center who had yet to make an All-Star team.
MacMahon said Kessler’s representation is looking for significantly more, which is quite interesting. You wonder if there is a team out there that believes he is worth well over $30 million a year. The Jazz would be hoping there isn’t, as they’d then be forced to match. You can’t lose a player like Kessler for nothing. It will be interesting to see how this situation pans out.
Kessler’s post indicates his preference is to stay. MacMahon reckons that is the most likely outcome, but added that this won’t be a pleasant process. Negotiations for players who aren’t quite stars but also aren’t role players can get a bit messy.
