Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz are reportedly expected to negotiate a new contract during the 2026 offseason. It's a development that's thrown salt in the wound of the Los Angeles Lakers' inability to field the starting-caliber center they need.
Though it's a disappointing development, the rumored price point that Kessler and Utah are expected to meet at would've been too high for the Lakers to justify—let alone begin negotiations at.
The Lakers have been linked to Kessler for the better part of the past two seasons. Though nothing has materialized just yet, Kessler entering restricted free agency created an opportunity for Los Angeles to finally believably pursue a new franchise center. That dream simply isn't as realistic as some might've thought it would be.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Kessler is expected to a sign a new contract to return to Utah with an average annual salary between $25 million and $30 million.
"But given that neither Jackson nor fellow big man Lauri Markkanenis a full-time center, Kessler remains an important player in Utah's path back to contention in the Western Conference. The consensus is that Kessler is signing a new deal with the Jazz in the range of $25 million to $30 million a year."
Unfortunately, that means Kessler has likely been priced out of the range the Lakers can responsibly afford to pay. Fortunately, that means Los Angeles will be saved from a risky decision.
Walker Kessler expected to re-sign with Jazz at $25-$30 million per year
From a pure youth and talent perspective, there's an easy case to make that Kessler would be worth between $25 and $30 million per season. At 24 years of age, he's already an elite shot-blocker and offensive rebounder who has the ability to be a true interior anchor.
Kessler has dealt with his share of injury concerns early in his career, however, which makes an investment of that nature difficult to justify for a Lakers team in the first summer of a retooling.
Kessler missed 74 games after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum during the 2025-26 season. He also missed 24 games in 2024-25 due to hip and foot injuries, as well as 18 games in 2023-24 due to a broken nose and a UCL sprain. He's also suffered multiple concussions during his NBA career.
None of those injuries are particularly alarming on their own, but the recurring history of ailments that dates back to college makes him a player the Lakers can't afford to make such a colossal investment in quite yet.
Lakers have too many voids to fill to pay $30+ million for Walker Kessler
Entering the 2026 offseason, all but two of the Lakers' top nine players in minutes per game are eligible for unrestricted free agency: Luka Doncic and Jake LaRavia. That's presented both a golden opportunity to finally build a roster that fits Doncic's strengths and weaknesses, and a tall task to potentially rebuild an entire rotation in one summer.
If the Lakers were to invest in Kessler, that would likely mean paying him in excess of $30 million per season in an attempt to outbid the Jazz—and therefore compromise significant financial flexibility.
Keep in mind: Utah reserves the right to match any offer sheet Kessler signs this summer due to the fact that he's a restricted free agent. As such, the Lakers' admittedly rational dream of signing him would likely require them to pay upward of the $25-to-$30 million per season that the Jazz are reportedly comfortable with.
With Austin Reaves soon to sign a massive new deal and the Lakers needing to make drastic improvements to become a true contender, that's simply too much of a risk to justify.
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