Utah Jazz' asking price in Walker Kessler trade revealed - NewsBreak
The Utah Jazz are a franchise without a franchise player. Of course, they had two of them, but wound up trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package that included Walker Kessler and trading Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those blockbuster trades occurred back in 2022, and the Jazz haven’t reached the postseason ever since.
Now, the Jazz are reportedly open to trading Kessler, arguably the centerpiece of the Gobert trade. Considering the Jazz won just 17 games last season, it makes sense that they’d be open to dealing anyone, for the right price.
But what would it cost for teams to trade for Kessler? According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Jazz are seeking at least two first-round picks plus a young player in exchange for trading Kessler this offseason.
“They want two picks plus a young player for Walker Kessler. So the Lakers cannot do that trade. They can give one pick and one young player and a swap.”
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on Walker Kessler trade
While the Los Angeles Lakers are currently trying to secure a new starting center in free agency, they could feasibly turn to the trade route too. Yet, as Buha notes, the Lakers may not have enough ammo to pull off a trade for Kessler.
Still, that doesn’t mean another team won’t come calling for the soon-to-be 24-year-old seven-footer. While he’s still developing more of a scoring touch, Kessler is already one of the best rim protectors in basketball, but the question now is whether the Jazz view him as a future building block or not.
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