What does Walker Kessler think he is worth on his next contract? If you asked the Utah Jazz, the answer to that would probably be "too much." Tim MacMahon just delivered a new report on the type of money Kessler and his camp are turning down from the Jazz in their contract negotiations.
"A gulf remains between restricted free agent center Walker Kessler and the Jazz after Utah put an offer worth roughly $140 million over five years on the table, sources told ESPN."
For those not crunching the numbers at home, that means Kessler is rejecting a new contract offer that would pay him $28.5 million on average. That is certainly not a small number by any means. Despite that, no traction appears to be made on a new deal in Utah.
MacMahon's new report comes on the heels of NBA insider Sam Amick stating that Kessler and the Jazz front office are 'at odds' with one another. The added intel continues to take a once improbable situation and strengthen the idea that Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers could actually get the player they have been connected to for ages.
Lakers should have a much better idea of Walker Kessler's price tag now
Let us stick with that $28.5 million annual average. If that is what Kessler is turning down, what is the number that both the Jazz would grimace at and the talented center would drool over?
$30 million AAV? That probably is not enough to truly dissuade Utah from matching, should it come in the form of an offer sheet. $1.5 million is not the type of separation that cannot be stomached, theoretically.
$35 million on average? That might be another story.
If the Lakers do want to flirt with the dangers of releasing the cap holds on LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, they could certainly redirect that money at Kessler in the form of an offer sheet. A $6.5 million increase from what the Jazz were willing to offer suddenly looks significant.
It is worth noting, Utah's offer is more than competitive. MacMahon pointed out that a five-year, $140 million deal would be the largest contract ever given to a center who had never appeared in an All-Star Game.
That means if the Lakers want to play the game of outpricing the Jazz, they are going to replace Utah in holding that distinction mentioned by MacMahon with whatever bag of big bucks they could plan to throw at Kessler.
The potential fit between the Lakers and the 24-year-old is undeniably attractive. That is why Kessler keeps coming up in connection to Los Angeles. If that fantasy is going to become reality, it will not come cheap for Pelinka.
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