Did a Door Just Open for the Bulls to Make a Run at Walker Kessler?

As important as next week's NBA Draft will be for the Chicago Bulls' future, the upcoming free agency period will be a close second.

New lead executive Bryson Graham is in a position to have more cap space than any team in the league. As things currently stand, only nine players are under contract for the 2026-27 campaign. Even more notable, Josh Giddey has the highest payday at $25.0 million a year. While no one would consider that chump change, it's a perfectly manageable deal.

How the new front office plans to use the immense spending power is arguably the most important question of the summer. As a rebuilding organization, there isn't much of a reason to believe they will use the flexibility to absorb a veteran star. With such a young and undeveloped roster, now doesn't feel like the time to jeopardize future assets for an immediate step forward.

Indeed, this is why many have believed that the Bulls could look to use their cap space as a means of becoming an unwanted salary dumping ground. Graham even brought this up as a potential option during his introductory press conference. It's become a great way to add future assets for a franchise starting over. Not to mention, it can sometimes allow that team to rebuild that player's stock, offering them a way to flip them again in the future.

Another option is to put the money to use in restricted free agency. A handful of young players could be available in the coming weeks, including names like Jalen Duren, Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason. Of course, their restricted status will give their current franchise a chance to match any offer sheet thrown their way. But what if the Bulls come in with a steep enough offer? They have the money to do so!

Especially when we consider the NBA's new flattened lottery rules, which include penalizing those teams that finish in the bottom three, pursuing some immediately impactful talent might make sense for the Bulls. And doing this via RFA could offer the best of both worlds. The Bulls still add someone who fits in their youthful timeline, yet is clearly proven enough to help in the win-loss column.

Again, this is never particularly easy nor cheap to pull off. A large majority of RFAs simply end up staying put with their current team on a new deal. But that doesn't mean the Bulls can't make things interesting, and there is one player in particular who could plenty of sense as a target.

Is Utah's Walker Kessler Suddenly Up for Grabs?

Oct 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Athletic's Sam Amick reported this week that Walker Kessler is not on the same page with the Utah Jazz about his looming restricted free agency. He was reportedly already caught off guard by the team's decision not to offer him an extension last summer and is now uncomfortable with the Jazz leveraging RFA to lower his potential payday.

Could the Jazz force Kessler's hand? Absolutely, but it sure feels noteworthy that they are heavily invested in both Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. moving forward. There is no question that the hefty payday for those two frontcourt players could make them less inclined to match an offer that Kessler receives in free agency.

So, why would the Bulls make that offer? It's very clear that this organization doesn't have a center of the future. They're also not going to add one with the No. 4 pick in the draft, as both Caleb Wilson and Cameron Boozer are best suited for the four. Might they be able to add a true center at No. 15? It's possible, as Hannes Steinbach has garnered some fans. However, a run at Kessler could prove hard to turn down.

Kessler, who is still only 24 years old, has shown he can be a potential defensive anchor. He stands at a staggering seven-foot-two and has averaged 2.4 blocks a night over his career. Likewise, he has been a great finisher around the rim, asserting himself as a true lob and put-back threat.

Lack of true size and physicality has been a problem for the Bulls in the past, but adding someone like Kessler would instantly solve that problem. It's also hard not to like his fit as a screener with Josh Giddey, who is an expert ball-handler and could prove to be a good pick-and-roll partner.

Let's not forget who the Bulls just inked as their future head coach, as well! While it's unclear if Tiago Splitter will have much of a say when it comes to roster moves, one has to imagine Bryson Graham will care about his input in some capacity. A former big man himself who just coached Donovan Clingan, perhaps he will have a little extra interest in a player like Kessler.

Are there possible concerns about going after the Jazz youngster? Sure, especially in the health department. He's played fewer and fewer games over his first four seasons in the league, appearing in just five in 2025-26 after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. Players of his size are seemingly always at risk of more frequent injury trouble.

Kessler also has yet to prove he can expand his game. His free throw shooting has always been rocky, which isn't a particularly great sign. To his credit, he's at least tried to tweak his jumper, though it's unclear if anything will ever come to fruition.

There is also something to be said about the number that ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently threw out. The long-time reporter shared on ESPN 700 in Utah that the Jazz offered Kessler a deal that is worth almost $140.0 million over five years, which he rejected. In other words, the Bulls would likely have to go a good amount over $28.0 million a year to truly make the Jazz uncomfortable. Is that something they are willing to do at this point in time?

You may be able to talk yourself into the $30.0 million range for the next handful of years, specifically with two cost-controlled players at No. 4 and No. 15 coming in. But that's still a steep price to pay when you have a long way to go as a team. It feels a lot more like an offer you may make when you know one of your youngsters is a true star and thus ready to take the next competitive step.

Nevertheless, the whole point is that we have no real clue how this front office plans to operate. This will be Graham's first go at things, and he has no lack of resources to quickly make this roster his own. Kessler will be one of the most interesting players on the market, as well as one of the handful that could potentially fit what this organization needs moving forward. If the Bulls want to put legitimate pressure on the Jazz, they will have the ability to do so.

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