Dec 26, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Jazz's Walker Kessler Breaks Silence on Contract Extension

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Heading into this offseason, it'll finally be rookie contract negotiation time for Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler, who just finished up with his third season in Salt Lake City, making a big-time statement in the process.

During the 2024-25 campaign, Kessler burst onto the scene with a considerable year-three jump to post career-high averages in points, rebounds, and assists, while in the process, cementing himself as the center and defensive anchor of the future for this Jazz rebuild.

Now, after a big season in the books, it'll be up to the Jazz front office to hammer out a deal for their budding star center and give him his deserved payday to keep him in the fold for the next few seasons.

Utah's general manager, Justin Zanik, recently expressed his and the team's interest in getting a new contract done for Kessler, and when asking Kessler himself on the matter, it seems clear that he wants to sign long-term with the Jazz and continue to keep building where he started.

"I love Utah," Kessler said during his end-of-season presser. "I love the fans. I love the coaching staff. I love the people around here. I love the mountains, and I think that this can be home for me. So, I'm excited to go into negotiations and figure something out, but I love Utah, and I'd be very blessed to stay here."

In 58 games across last season, Kessler averaged 11.1 points on 66.3% shooting from the field, paired with 12.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks on 30 minutes a night, managing to start in every contest he appeared in.

Compared to his numbers from a year ago, when many questioned if Kessler had hit a year two wall in his development, he clearly showed some major steps in the right direction for his progression as one of the best centers. especially on the defensive end, within the NBA.

The Jazz spent last summer inking one of their cornerstones in Lauri Markkanen to a big-time, $250 million extension to keep him in the mix for the next five seasons, and this coming summer, Utah may have to do similar to cement Kessler as a mainstay as the man in the middle within this frontcourt.

While Kessler's contract won't reach nearly the same number as Markkanen's managed to land last offseason, it'll be interesting to see how the Jazz brass values their young center, and how much he'll be worth in their eventual agreement, especially on an AAV basis. For an early projection, I'd be pretty surprised if his contract doesn't reach over $25 million a season.

As the Jazz's offseason continues to progress, keep a keen eye on how negotiations fare between the Utah front office and Kessler, with all signs pointing to a long-term deal coming to form in the near future.

This article first appeared on Utah Jazz on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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