At first, it seemed like a distant memory when reports indicated the Utah Jazz had traded Walker Kessler available in trade negotiations. But then Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus revealed that might not be the case. so far after all.
“According to multiple sources, Utah has already discussed Kessler in a trade, including a stalled discussion with the New York Knicks. He does not appear to be part of the team’s long-term plan,” Pincus wrote. in an article dated August 23.
So the fact that Kessler is still being mentioned in trade rumors indicates that this isn’t an offseason rumor. However, it hardly seems reasonable to trade Kessler even if he’s coming off a disappointing sophomore season, but there could be more to it than that.
The only reason Kessler’s sophomore season was considered disappointing was because of his impressive rookie year. Chances are this was an isolated incident, as it happens to many players who get off to a flying start when they enter the NBA.
Kessler is still a young player who has proven he has potential. His value may not be what it was in 2023, but there’s no reason to think any team would take the risk of betting on his potential.
That’s why it would make sense for the Jazz to trade him only if they got a clear star in return. Someone like Brandon Ingram It wouldn’t necessarily be an obvious option, but if that’s the best they can get for him, they could do a lot worse.
It’s really strange that a team would give up on such a promising young player, even if he hasn’t really progressed as they thought he would. In situations like this, it’s quite possible that Kessler and Utah aren’t meant to be together.
No one is trying to imply that Kessler is a problem child, as that has not been confirmed. However, there may be issues, such as Kessler believing he can’t play the best version of himself with the way the Jazz are using him.
Or maybe Kessler thinks it would be more beneficial for him to play for a team that is prepared to win in the present rather than winning in the future. There are many reasons why there could be problems behind the scenes.
If Kessler becomes a problem for them or has already become a problem, then maybe that’s why the Jazz don’t think he’s worth it going forward. if it turns out to be a source of trouble.
It’s a bit of a stretch to say the Jazz should trade Collins at their earliest opportunity, since he’s being paid on a junk contract. It would be hard to get rid of that deal alone, but maybe not if Kessler is included.
Trading Kessler for Collins could negate the inclusion of any of the Jazz’s future first-round picks they have in their arsenal. Or at least, it would limit the number of first-round picks they would have to trade.
It’s not like the Jazz’s salary cap is being crippled by Collins’ contract. In fact, he’s only on the books for two more years, and that’s not unbearable. It’s more that he doesn’t fit into their long-term plans, so if they don’t have much faith in Kessler going forward, and a team is willing to take Collins’ contract to gamble on him, the Jazz might just say yes to that idea.
