Following an impressive win over the Boston Celtics on Monday, the Utah Jazz got some sobering news Wednesday afternoon as the team announced big man Walker Kessler is expected to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
It’s an unfortunate outcome for the Jazz, who were out to a 3-4 start with wins over the Clippers, Celtics and Suns. Utah saw great success with a jumbo lineup where they started Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Filipowski and Kessler, all of whom are 7-footers. With that trio on the floor, the Jazz post an absurd net rating of +22.1 in five games.
Kessler missed the last two games for the Jazz as what the team was calling shoulder bursitis. The timing couldn’t be worse for Kessler as he’s set to become a restricted free agent next summer after he and the Jazz couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension in the offseason. Kessler could’ve been in line for a major payday next summer if his production to start the season maintained, after averaging a career high 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, three assists and nearly two blocks. But now, This injury will certainly impact the amount of money he’ll be able to get from Utah or any other interested team.
Because the Jazz didn’t sign Kessler to an extension in the offseason, there was speculation that he could be a trade target this season considering Utah does have Filipowski as an insurance policy. Now, though, this injury certainly dispels any trade talk for the season.
There’s no doubt that losing Kessler is a negative for the Jazz. The rim protection he provides and the improved offensive game he was displaying this season was a bright spot to start the season. But if Utah was searching for a silver lining in this situation, it’s that losing Kessler does help the Jazz’s draft odds for next season. That’s probably not what the team is thinking about at this point in time, but in a competitive Western Conference this Utah team was never equipped to make any sort of real run in the playoffs if it got that far. Not with a roster that should be valuing the development of its young players like Ace Bailey and has a large collection of guys who are in the first three years of their careers.
Currently, the Jazz have the 13th best odds in the lottery, and if their pick landed there it would become the Thunder’s pick due to a 2021 Derrick Favors trade. The pick is top-8 protected, so if it falls outside of that the Thunder would get the pick, which is certainly not what Utah wants. If it lands inside the top 8, the Jazz would also have the ability to swap picks with either of Minnesota or Cleveland if either of those teams land higher in the draft order, which is unlikely at this point.
So essentially, as cruel as it is, Kessler’s injury helps the Jazz keep their pick for the 2026 draft. If they continued on this winning path, then Utah would almost certainly have to hand that first-round pick to the Thunder. And in a loaded draft class in 2026, with a slew of topend talent that can transform a franchise, it’s in Utah’s best interest to do everything in its power to try and keep that pick. Kessler’s injury is a significant blow in the short term, but from a big picture view, this positions Utah better down the line.
