It's not quite clear yet which direction the Utah Jazz will be taking as their front office looks to build the next great iteration of the team. This unpredictability makes them one of the more interesting teams to monitor in the trade market. While Lauri Markkanen continues to be the apple of many teams' eyes, third-year center Walker Kessler is also drawing a ton of interest as a cost-controlled, shot-blocking big man.
One of the teams that have reportedly kicked the tires on a potential Kessler trade is the New York Knicks. However, in the end, it seems as though the Jazz are placing too high of a price on Kessler that a deal may not be too plausible in the near future.
The Jazz have reportedly rejected an offer of two first-round picks in a potential Walker Kessler trade, according to Ian Begley of SNY. Begley also reported that the Jazz's price for Kessler makes it unlikely for the Knicks to swing a trade for the 22-year-old center.
“Utah had been asking for at least one first-round pick in previous discussions with teams on Walker Kessler. The Knicks had some interest in Kessler. I was told subsequently that teams had offered two first-rounders to Utah in the past couple weeks and were rebuffed,” Begley said.
It's important to note that, first-rounders aren't created equal. Perhaps the first-round picks that the Jazz were being offered were from contending teams, which means that those selections are likely to land in the late first-round. Or perhaps those picks are heavily protected the way the picks the Knicks own from the Pistons and Wizards are.
Walker Kessler is a quality young player, and the Jazz are certainly well within their rights to set a huge price in any potential trade. There is no urgency on their end anyway to deal Kessler away, as he still has two years left on his rookie deal at a very affordable $7.8 million.
Assessing the Jazz's roster, potential trade candidates
Lauri Markkanen, of course, still looms as the Jazz's best trade candidate. Markkanen should net the Jazz a ton of future first-round picks, a quality young player or two, and some workable salary filler — an ideal return for an All-Star player. Despite being in the final year of his contract, Markkanen's scoring ability and his stature as a walking mismatch problem makes him a tantalizing potential addition for any team looking to contend for either a championship or a playoff spot in 2025.
To that end, teams such as the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Miami Heat have shown interest in potentially swinging a blockbuster trade with the Jazz for Markkanen. Trading Markkanen means that the Jazz don't see him as the team's long-term centerpiece and that they will continue searching for the next player — perhaps Cooper Flagg via the 2025 NBA Draft — to become the franchise cornerstone.
Aside from Markkanen, the Jazz still have John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and maybe even Collin Sexton as potential trade candidates. Collins' $26.5 million contract makes it difficult for the Jazz to find a taker, but there will always be a need around the league for an athletic forward who can rebound and space the floor reasonably well. Clarkson is a great fit for teams in need of some spark-plug scoring off the bench. On the other hand, Sexton may have played himself into keeper conversations for the Jazz after he played well last season.
But the most likely route for the Jazz is to utilize their considerable cap space (around $37.7 million) to take on a few bad contracts from other teams in exchange for some helpful draft capital. Utah is in no shape to contend in the stacked Western Conference anyway, so there's no use in blowing that cap space on any remaining free agent. Perhaps the Jazz could use some of that money to agree to a new contract with Markkanen.
At the end of the day, the Jazz are shaping up to have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. They currently have 10 players (including those on two-way deals) on the roster who are 25 years old or younger.
As for Walker Kessler, he appears to be one of those players that the Jazz are happy to keep, but at the same time, they also have no qualms about trading him away should a team give them a godfather offer. Only time will tell, however, if any team matches that price of theirs. More likely than not, that team will not be the Knicks.
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