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

Surprise Team Pushed to Trade for Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 11:33 AM ET

Across the course of this most recent NBA offseason, the Utah Jazz were involved in no shortage of rumors surrounding their fourth-year center, Walker Kessler.

Kessler, who now enters the final year of his rookie contract, is still unsigned without an extension heading into the season after a career year from his last campaign. At this point, he seems primed to hit restricted free agency come next summer while the Jazz attempt to rework a new long-term deal with him then.

But even while holding that stance to keep him in the fold long-term, it hasn't stopped opposing general managers from ringing the Jazz phones with interest to acquire the Jazz's young defensive anchor via trade. The Los Angeles Lakers are probably the top team of note linked with intrigue in Kessler, with a few other squads lingering in the background as well.

But another team that seemingly made a push for Kessler earler this offseason was none other than the Phoenix Suns, who, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, "weighed an approach" for the Jazz big man before acquiring Mark Williams at the draft.

"We've written extensively about the Lakers' past trade interest in Kessler and I’m told Phoenix also weighed an approach for Kessler in the summer before the Suns went forward with their draft-night trade to acquire Williams from Charlotte," Fischer wrote.

The Suns, who were desperate for a fill-in at their center position for the season ahead, seemed to like Kessler's fit next to a Jalen Green and Devin Booker backcourt combination, and might've tried their hand at a deal with the Jazz before landing Williams from the Charlotte Hornets.

Of course, that deal for Kessler never wound up making much traction in Phoenix, probably in part due to the lack of assets the Suns have onboard in order to make a deal of that caliber. But it shows that the strong interest around the league in Kessler is very real.

For teams seeking more of a defensive identity in their frontcourt and a player who can be in the building for years as a young, long-term answer at the five, Kessler makes a ton of sense on paper.

But the Jazz know that, and value their five-man of the future pretty highly because of it— as shown through their hesitancy to deal him anywhere since his arrival and rookie year breakout.

Without a team willing to give fork over that high price in exchange for him, there's been no true momentum on a deal coming to form, regardless of the persisting chatter.

Could that change across this season as he's on an expiring deal? All signs seem to show that the Jazz want to keep Kessler as a cornerstone piece of the future, but as noted by the big man himself at his media day presser, not having an extension hashed out before the year is "a little frustrating." An eye-catching bullet point to jot down.

As long as Kessler's unsigned, it'll certainly a situation to be mindful of as the Jazz get closer to the trade deadline and next summer. As of now, though, Kessler seems set and ready to go for year four in Salt Lake City.

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