Insider Reveals Jazz's True Asking Price for Walker Kessler

It appears Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler will be calling Salt Lake City home for the foreseeable future. According to Forbes NBA insider Evan Siddery, Kessler has been taken off the trade block. Siddery revealed his claim Tuesday morning on ‘X’.

"One name who will not be available on the trade market after league-wide exploratory interest: Walker Kessler."

"The Jazz view Kessler as a key young piece for their future."

"Kessler is putting together a career-best season averaging 10.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks."

One name who will not be available on the trade market after league-wide exploratory interest: Walker Kessler.

The Jazz view Kessler as a key young piece for their future.

Kessler is putting together a career-best season averaging 10.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. pic.twitter.com/aDc3lr2SVJ
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 10, 2024

The rumors of Kessler being traded have been hot and heavy for some time now. Utah’s starting center was tied to a potential exchange with the New York Knicks, but that rumor was put to bed with the addition of Karl Anthony-Towns.

Despite a Knicks trade not going through last summer, the market for Kessler was always there. However, Kessler's solid start to the season, paired with a team-friendly contract, sounds like enough to keep him a Jazzman.

Now that the Kessler front is closed, the next question is, what Jazz players could be part of an in-season exchange? The player to keep an eye on is Collin Sexton.

Sexton's current contract runs through the 2025-26 season and leans on the team-friendly side. If the Jazz decided to part ways with Sexton, they could certainly net a positive asset in return. That can’t be said about another pair of Jazzman that have consistently been in the trade rumors, John Collins and Jordan Sexton.

Considering his solid start to the season, Collins has changed the narrative on his trade value, but his contract is still a beast to take on at this stage. The second-year Jazzman has a player option of 26.6 million for the 2025-26 campaign.

As for Clarkson, the injury bug continues to rear its ugly head for the former Sixth Man of the Year. He’s currently dealing with plantar fasciitis, which has forced him to miss ten games this season. To move on from Utah’s most tenured player, the Jazz would likely need to take on a bad contract in return. The Jazz are in a position where going down that road doesn’t make much sense.

This all makes for some interesting decisions for the rebuilding Jazz. We can expect more trade chatter leading up to the February 6 trade deadline.

Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and Twitter/X.

Subscribe to YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live streams!