Warriors Land Jazz's Walker Kessler in Wild Trade Proposal From B/R

Should the Utah Jazz send off their young big man to The Bay?

Feb 12, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) blocks the shot of Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports / Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Trade buzz continues to follow the Utah Jazz as we navigate through the weeds of the 2024 NBA offseason, and some hypotheticals and predictions surrounding a few major deals have tended to come alongside it.

Lauri Markkanen has remained a big ticket item through the last few weeks on the NBA trade market, though Utah's third-year center Walker Kessler has also begun to generate some notoriety for himself as well. After a bumpy second season in Salt Lake City, some have pinned the 22-year-old as a candidate to see a change of scenery if the right package were to arrive at the desk of Danny Ainge.

With that chatter, a few potential frameworks of a Kessler trade have also started to arise, with the most recent proposal coming from Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report.

Bleacher Report sees the Golden State Warriors as a potential ideal fit for Kessler's services if traded, as they dropped a package they could see Utah acting on if presented to them-- including youngster Moses Moody and a protected first-rounder.

Utah: Jazz recieve: Moses Moody, 2026 first-round pick via GSW (top-seven protected)

Golden State Warriors receive: Walker Kessler

Buckley later provides some intel on the proposal, detailing the Jazz's incentive to bring in another young player and some added draft capital for the former Auburn big man:

If the Jazz trade Kessler away after two generally productive seasons to start his career, they need to make sure the deal works in their favor. This one would. A relatively lightly protected first from a team with a 36-year-old centerpiece (Stephen Curry) and no co-star could prove plenty valuable. Plus, Moody might thrive with the developmental minutes that should be available in Salt Lake City.

- Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report

The Warriors' hypothetical package aligns with the reported asking price for Kessler, headlined by a first-round pick, but the addition of Moody can maybe sweeten the pot for something to come to fruition for Golden State.

Still, the Jazz should have some reservations about dealing with their potential franchise cornerstone in Kessler, even with a decent return in place. Kessler seamlessly fits the timeline Utah has set in place for their extensive rebuild, and giving up on their center of the future for a first-round pick looks a bit impulsive after a shaky sophomore campaign.

Kessler spent last season in Utah averaging 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in just over 23 minutes a night.

Those averages don't stray too far from his numbers during his rookie year, but the Jazz will likely need to see more from him in order to generate some extra staying power on the roster moving forward. As long as he remains on board heading into the Jazz's 2024-25 season, Kessler should have a shot to redeem himself from an up-and-down previous year.

Teams hungry for an answer at the five position could send in some tempting deals to take him off of Utah's hands, but without anything that jumps off the page, expect Kessler to stick in Salt Lake City for the time being.

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