NBA Rumors: Jazz Not Expected to Trade Walker Kessler

Don't expect the Utah Jazz to ship off their young center any time soon.

Dec 26, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Utah Jazz stand out as one of the more intriguing names to watch around the market-- yet don't expect to see their starting big man appear in any deals.

According to Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports, the Jazz are not expected to shop third-year center Walker Kessler ahead of February's trade deadline. Despite Kessler gaining some supposed interest around the league as a potential acquisition, Utah has no plans to pivot off their young cornerstone.

Kessler has emerged as a bright spot in an otherwise bleak campaign for the Jazz, averaging career-highs of 10.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 29 games, starting in every one.

With his impressive play across this season paired alongside his complimentary fit with Utah's rebuilding timeline, it would be extremely difficult to see the Jazz move on Kessler unless an opposing team sent an offer that couldn't be refused. Now, it seems all but certain the 23-year-old will be in Salt Lake City until further notice.

However, that doesn't mean the Jazz should be expected to stay complacent on the market across the coming weeks. Veterans like John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson all remain well within play as potential movers, a much more likely scenario than seeing Utah move on from Kessler. If Utah can obtain appealing future assets or young players in return for any of their three prominent veterans, it's easy to see a world where Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik pull the trigger on a trade.

The Jazz still have time on their side to find the right deal, as the league cutoff still stands a few weeks away on February 6th at 1 PM MT. Expect Utah to stay busy on the phones to push the needle forward on this extensive rebuild process. Though, don't anticipate seeing Kessler going anywhere.

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