3 Utah Jazz Players With Rising Stock After Walker Kessler Trade

The Utah Jazz made a big decision to shake up their current core for now and the future ahead when they decided to sign-and-trade Walker Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers just one day into the opening of this year's free agency period.

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, sources tell ESPN. Kessler will sign a massive four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/rt8b17fEQZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

It's a move that sets up the Jazz well for the next several years, doing so by freeing up a ton of cap space that would've otherwise been dedicated to the 24-year-old center for the next three to four seasons, while also receiving a bundle of draft capital to use with multiple first-round picks and swaps.

The move also tends to change the outlook for a few players currently on the roster pretty significantly heading into next season.

Sure, the Jazz get a little bit worse in the short term. It's hard to debate that.

At the same time, being without Kessler now means that several other members in this frontcourt will get to step up in his place in one way or another. And in doing so, it might make Utah's latest loss sting a little bit less in a few months’ time.

With that in mind, let’s look at three players on the Jazz's roster whose stock is now on the rise with Kessler out of the building and headed to the bright lights of LA:

1. Jaren Jackson Jr.

Feb 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) looks on against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Kessler's fit next to Jaren Jackson Jr. made for an ideal pairing with their one-two punch of rim protection, along with Kessler covering up any rebounding holes leftover, there's no doubt that Jackson Jr. now becomes vastly more impactful for Utah's defensive success next season.

The deal to first acquire Jackson in February now becomes even more appealing just a few days into free agency. Without it, the Jazz might now be put in a situation to start scrambling to find that defensive impact in their frontcourt to replace the paint presence they just lost, which would be pretty worrisome for a defense that's faced several issues over the past few seasons.

That's no longer a glaring worry for the Jazz, though. Jackson Jr. can carry some of the weight on that end pretty seamlessly as a former Defensive Player of the Year, and showcase exactly why Utah opted to invest a ton into acquiring him in the first place.

Having a strong rebounder to fill in next to Jackson Jr. will be key to unlocking his true potential in this Jazz lineup without Utah being deficient on the interior. But even while losing one of the best shot blockers and rim protectors in the league, this team is far from being without answers moving forward.

2. Jusuf Nurkic

Dec 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (30) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A clear beneficiary of the Jazz's latest trade with the Lakers is the guy who filled in for Kessler throughout half of last season while he was hurt: Jusuf Nurkic. Because there's now a good chance that he'll be slotted in as the next man up once again, depending on how Utah decides to approach the rest of their offseason.

Before free agency began, Nurkic was signed onto a brand-new two-year deal worth $22 million that was viewed as a solid deal for a reliable backup. And in the off-chance that Kessler got dealt, he was a strong contingency plan to have an onboard slot into that starting five spot, if necessary.

For a while, it didn't feel like the Jazz would be moving off of Kessler, and would instead match whatever offer sheet came his way, even if at a higher cost than they had initially offered him. That changed pretty quickly though, and now makes Nurkic's signing a whole lot wiser than it did on the surface.

Nurkic isn't the defender that Kessler is. Not even close. However, as a short-term plug to shore up the Jazz's newly created void at the five, he offers enough of an offensive skillset for Utah to bank on in his place, and someone who's proven to be successful with many lineups of this roster already.

3. Kyle Filipowski

Mar 28, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The lack of Kessler in the frontcourt now frees up a good share of minutes for someone like Kyle Filipowski, who might not be the most perfect fit as a full-time center, though is well capable of finding a role in the frontcourt because of what he offers offensively.

Before the Kessler trade, there was doubt that Filipowski would even find a spot in the Jazz's rotation. Between Kessler, Nurkic, and Jackson Jr., and Lauri Markkanen, the minutes at the four and five spot dried up pretty quickly upon initial projections for next year's lineup. Without Kessler, the calculus changes.

Depending on how the Jazz approach the rest of the offseason, and whether or not they decide to bring in another depth big man at Jaxson Hayes' caliber or better, is to be determined. Filipowski is a big winner in this entire situation though, as he went from fringe rotation guy to now a pretty important piece for the second unit.

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