Walker Kessler’s Injury Could Reveal a Silver Lining for Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz losing starting center Walker Kessler for the year due to torn labrum surgery less than 10 games deep into the regular season is undoubtedly a tough blow for everyone involved.

Walker Kessler will undergo season-ending left shoulder surgery, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/liPmYJQqWS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 5, 2025

Kessler is a core component of the Jazz's rebuild, is the team's defensive centerpiece, and has shown the right tools and flashes through his previous three years in the building that he's more than capable of being an impact player for years to come in Utah.

However, his fourth year in Salt Lake City has been cut short after five showings, which certainly sucks in the short term, but for the long haul, might have a sliver lining attached.

Why Walker Kessler's Injury Might Have a Silver Lining

Oct 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One of the main focuses for the Jazz heading into another rebuilding season like this one was to expand the opportunities to be had for their young core around the roster. Yet, another one of those top priorities had a bit of a forward-thinking focus to this coming offseason revolving around their first round pick.

Currently, the Jazz's first round pick for this coming summer is held by the OKC Thunder, protected within the top eight slots to where, if Utah falls within the first eight picks, they keep their pick, while the Thunder's rights get shifted to a pair of second rounders instead.

That has huge implications on how the Jazz can and want to build their future. Especially in a talented draft class like 2026 is bound to bring, retaining those rights for a top-eight pick is exactly what Utah needs to keep the momentum positive on what this team could look like in a few years’ time.

Kessler, though, is a player that can readily win games for the Jazz now.

He's their best player on the defensive end and is the only barrier between this team falling into historically bad on that end of the floor. He has proven through five games that he's elevated as a playmaker in the frontcourt, while also averaging a career-high in points (14.4).

Walker Kessler's Absence Helps Utah Jazz Retain 2026 FRP

Oct 31, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) dunks in the first half between the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

The Jazz were 2-3 in the stretch he was active for, which, if that same success kept up across an 82-game sample size, is good for 32 wins.

Sure, it's an extremely small window of games to look at, and there's no telling how Utah would perform across this season had Kessler been good to go for more than the first couple of weeks. But it's hard to argue that the Jazz will be better without their fourth-year big man on the floor, and seem pretty unlikely to reach that 32-win mark, which is nearly double their win total from last season.

Walker Kessler was one of the top performers from the 2022 draft class this season 😞 pic.twitter.com/i4Osipwiwa
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) November 5, 2025

That means for Utah, they might be able to get their hands on their coveted first-round pick a bit easier than initially expected, and for the rest of the Jazz roster, it tasks them with stepping up on the defensive end in Kessler's place while he's sidelined for the year.

For the past two seasons, the Jazz have been the worst-rated defensive team in the NBA, and that seems like a trend that could certainly continue this year as their roster got younger and Kessler remains out of the fold.

If that keeps up, a top-eight pick feels like a likely outcome if the lottery luck swings a bit more in their favor than last time around, and if it does, Utah can walk away from this season feeling slightly better about themselves, even without getting a full season slate from their budding young big man.

Kessler's expected to be ready to go and fully healthy come this time next year, and should be on the verge of a big payday to come his way in restricted free agency, regardless of his surgery. In the meantime, though, the Jazz can keep their rebuild process going as they'd like, and make this team look even better than how Kessler left it this season.

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