Wizards Need to Trade for Jazz Center

Kessler would be the perfect solution to every weakness in the center department for the Wiz Kids. The position group lacks depth, with Vukcevic being the only backup to Alex Sarr. Sarr is fantastic and is the starting center for the future of Wizards basketball. He needs a backup, though, someone who can give him rest minutes and begin on nights that Sarr is injured. Kessler is well-suited for this role, as he brings skills that the team currently lacks.

The Auburn product is entering his fourth season, and it is a big one for him. It appears that the Utah Jazz and Danny Ainge may not want to extend his contract or sign him to another one next offseason. It is also important to note that Kessler is a restricted free agent, the same class of free agency as Josh Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga were this season. This gives the Wizards two routes to acquire Kessler.

The first is to trade for him this season. Danny Ainge is known to bleed teams dry of draft picks in trades, but he desperately wants to shed Kessler. Will Dawkins has multiple second-round picks he could also shed. A package could include players making little to no money, like Dillon Jones. The package that is most likely to happen would be Jones, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks for Kessler.

The second option is a sign-and-trade during the 2026 offseason. Kessler is projected to make $14.6 million per year for his next extension, which is 8.6% of the salary cap, according to Spotrac. It also happens that this is almost the same amount Corey Kispert is making under his contract. This could lead to a package involving Kispert and two second-round picks for Kessler.

The bottom line is that the team needs another center to back up Sarr or to run a double big lineup. Kessler fixes that hole. He also brings in rebounding, as he averaged the most offensive rebounds in the NBA last season at 4.6 per game. He is also a fabulous interior presence, averaging 2.4 blocks a night last season, and 2.4 for his career. Trading for Kessler could legitimately be the move that makes the Wizards contenders by 2028, and it absolutely needs to happen.