Jazz announce rough news about Walker Kessler

The Utah Jazz shared some rough news regarding Walker Kessler on Wednesday.

The Jazz announced that Kessler will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. The surgery will be performed in Los Angeles on Thursday by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Kessler had missed some time during the preseason due to shoulder bursitis. He did not play in the Jazz’s game on Sunday and was sent to Utah for further testing. That is when the torn labrum was revealed, which has led to his surgery.

Kessler was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and made the All-Rookie team in his first season. The 24-year-old center was showing improvement this season and averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in five contests this season.

This is a rough break for Kessler and the Jazz. Not only was Kessler having a great start to the season, but now the Jazz won’t be able to get as much in return if they decide to trade him. Utah has begun the season 3-4, which is a significant improvement from last season, where they went 17-65.