Early in the offseason, the Utah Jazz made news when rookie big man Walker Kessler’s name surfaced in trade rumors as a possible mover. It appears that these discussions will continue with the most recent rumor involving a team in the East.
The team that has the most recent link to Kessler is the New York Knicks, who were among the top teams in the Eastern Conference the previous campaign.
When arranging several center possibilities that would interest the Knicks before the upcoming season, SNY’s Ian Begley struck up an interesting conversation between the two parties. Kessler was mentioned alongside a number of other candidates who might make sense to join the team in New York:
Kessler just finished his season with the Jazz, playing in 64 games and averaging 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in slightly over 23 minutes per night.
Since Kessler didn’t quite produce the significant year-two jump that was anticipated of him last season, trade rumors have continued to surround the 23-year-old as concerns about his long-term development have surfaced. Because of this, the Knicks may want to keep an eye on the young center in order to replace the enormous hole left by Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure.
The amount that New York could offer for Kessler’s services is unclear given that this front staff gave up most of their much sought-after future draft capital earlier in the offseason in exchange for Mikal Bridges. The Jazz might make a deal if they could figure out a way to get some young players and/or future picks in exchange for the 2022 first-round pick, but that’s not a given.
