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During the 2024-25 campaign for the Utah Jazz, one of the team's major successes across the season was seeing the emergence of third-year center Walker Kessler.
After an up-and-down year two, Kessler made a statement during his most recent season in Utah, posting career highs in points, rebounds, and assists through 58 games. And with a potential rookie contract extension right around the corner, the jump in production comes at a great time for the 23-year-old.
While the extension talks do land a bit later down the line for this offseason's timeline, Jazz general manager Justin Zanik hinted towards getting into those discussions further into this summer during his end-of-season presser, also mentioning that he thinks Kessler still has more room to grow moving forward.
"I think there's still more," Zanik said of Kessler. "He's [23]... Really proud of him. We'll get into those [extension] discussions this summer, just depending on different things. I can see him being a part of this team for a long time. His attitude and commitment to not only our organization, but to himself and to this community. He's made me proud that way, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on him. He's got more to give, and I think he knows that too. And I mean that in the most positive way."
Kessler, who has now stamped himself as a primary piece of this Jazz rebuild following his massive statement of a season, is inevitably a huge component of the success Utah hopes to build for the future.
He's their young, defensive anchor in the middle with the potential to elevate as one of, if not the best, rim protector in the NBA, and can be a major catalyst in the team's progression into a top two-way force in the league. Since entering the league, he's remained top six for total blocks in a season, and if healthy and on the floor, looks primed to keep that trend going until further notice.
It remains to be seen exactly what Kessler's dollar value is in terms of a rookie extension, but whatever it may be, hammering out a deal will be critical for the Jazz brass.
Outside of Lauri Markkanen's nearly-max contract signed last summer, Utah has ample room on the books to dish out some money to their young center if the front office wants to continue building around him, and if Zanik's statement proves to mean anything, that should be expected to come sooner rather than later.
While the Jazz big man was even involved in his share of trade rumors earlier this season, don't expect Kessler to go anywhere, with a new deal to keep him in town long-term likely to come as soon as this summer.
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