The Utah Jazz have reportedly re-signed Jusuf Nurkic to a two-year, $22 million contract. They've done so with Kyle Filipowski, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Lauri Markkanen already on the roster, and Walker Kessler in restricted free agency. As such, they've opened the door to speculation: Is Kessler suddenly a realistic option to sign Kessler?
The Lakers' need for a starting-caliber center is known and documented, and with Utah's recent activity, they may just have the opening they need to outbid the Jazz for Kessler.
Free agent center Jusuf Nurkic intends to sign a two-year, $22 million contract to return to the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Nurkic thrived in coach Will Hardy's system and was excited about the Jazz new look roster. Utah officials worked through the deal with Klutch Sports CEO… pic.twitter.com/X3AxMhjQZH
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
Utah has $49 million going to Jackson and $46,113,154 to Markkanen in 2026-27, and will now owe an average of $11 million to Nurkic over the next two seasons. The Jazz have also offered Kessler a five-year, $140 million contract offer that he declined.
If Kessler ultimately re-signs for that figure, then the Jazz would be paying their big men roughly $135 million in 2026-27—a difficult outcome to envision, even with a rookie-scale perimeter.
Perhaps Utah will ultimately foot the bill and aim to cut ties with Nurkic in 2027. The optics simply plant seeds of doubt, as the Jazz are preparing to pay collective top dollar for their interior players and may thus be opening themselves up to being outbid.
Paying Kessler more than the Jazz are willing to could prove difficult, but the door at least appears open for the Lakers to pay him at a rate that challenges Utah's willingness to match.
Jazz re-sign Jusuf Nurkic. Are they preparing to lose Walker Kessler?
If Kessler is unwilling to re-sign at a rate of $28 million per season, then the Lakers' starting offer would likely need to exceed four years and $120 million. That's a hefty price to pay for a player who has appeared in a combined 63 games over the past two seasons.
Kessler is one of the best offensive rebounders and shot-blockers in the NBA, however, and the Lakers have a dire need for a player who checks those very boxes.
During Kessler's most recent full season, 2024-25, he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.4 offensive rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game. He also ranked in the 99th percentile in rim protection and post defense, the 95th percentile in defensive rebounds per 75 possessions, and the 98th percentile in offensive rebounds per 75 possessions, per Basketball Index.
Standing at 7'2" and 245 pounds with a massive 7'4.25" wingspan and an eye-opening 9'5" standing reach, Kessler can make his mark on a game by simply being within the vicinity of a play.
Utah thus has reason to re-sign him to a multi-year deal and preserve their future. With Jackson and Markkanen struggling as rebounders, he'd certainly check an important box for the Jazz. After paying Nurkic $11 million per season with a long list of bigs already in the mix, however, Kessler may just be attainable.
It won't be an easy process, but the Lakers seem to have an outside shot at signing Kessler in what projects to be a realistically winnable bidding war.
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