The Utah Jazz are in the middle of a rebuilding effort of such enormous proportions that it has forced the NBA to change its rules on tanking.
It’s a string of despicable, losing seasons under head coach Will Hardy and CEO Danny Ainge that’s made the once-proud franchise utterly unwatchable, but has seen them miss the playoffs for 4 consecutive seasons, including at least 30 games under .500 each of the last 2 seasons.
That’s why it’s no wonder someone who has played his whole career under that dark cloud might want out of town, with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reporting center and 2022 1st round pick (No. 22 overall) Walker Kessler rejected a 5-year, $140 million contract extension offer from the Jazz.
“A gulf remains between restricted free agent center Walker Kessler and the Jazz after Utah put an offer worth roughly $140 million over five years on the table, sources told ESPN,” MacMahon wrote on June 17. “It would be the largest contract ever given to a center who had yet to be an All-Star. The Jazz have the right to match any offer sheet that Kessler signs as a restricted free agent. The 7-foot-2 Kessler has proved to be one of the NBA’s premier shot blockers and rebounders. He played in only five games last season before having season-ending shoulder surgery, but he ranked second in the league in blocks (2.4) and fifth in rebounds (12.2) in 2024-25, when he averaged 11.1 points while shooting 66.3% from the floor.”
Walker Kessler Part of Blockbuster NBA Trade
Even though the Jazz have had 8 1st round picks in the last 4 years, Kessler wasn’t 1 of them.
Kessler was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies and straight away traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Just 2 weeks later, Kessler was part of 1 of the biggest trades — and maybe 1 of the worst trades — in NBA history when he was traded to the Jazz along with Patrick Beverly, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, and 4 future 1st round picks in exchange for center Rudy Gobert.
Now, for the 1st time in his career, Kessler might just want to control his own fate.
“The Lakers will be a team to monitor for Walker Kessler, whether it be through an aggressive offer sheet or sign-and-trade attempt,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote on his official X account on June 16. “For years, Los Angeles has coveted Kessler as a top target. Now, with Luka Doncic and ample cap space, his fit makes even more sense long-term.”
Danny Ainge Trying to Re-Create Celtics Magic
This isn’t the 1st time Ainge has overseen a rebuild of an NBA franchise, and if the Jazz can wind up with the same results as he got last time, all of this losing might be worth it.
Hired as the executive director of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics in 2003, Ainge spent the next 4 years trading away the team’s best players and stuffing the team’s coffers with draft picks.
After going 24-58 in 2006-07, Ainge made 2 bold trades that turned the franchise’s fortunes around, swapping 8 Celtics players, 2 1st-round picks, and 1 2nd-round pick for Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Glen Davis.
Garnett, along with Allen and Paul Pierce, led the Celtics to a 66-16 record in 2007-08 — the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history. The Celtics went on to win their 1st NBA title since 1986, and Ainge was named NBA Executive of the Year.
Report: Jazz Center Rejected 5-Year, $140 Million Contract Offer