In the past two years, one of the hottest names on the trade market was Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. Nearly any team that needed a center called the Jazz about a possible trade. With the 24-year-old coming off of a career season, there might be even more teams looking to get him, but nothing has materialized.
One of the reasons that the coveted young center remains of the Jazz’s roster is that the Jazz have a high asking price. However, Los Angeles Lakers fans should be happy because their team has the assets needed to acquire Kessler. Additionally, with an increasingly cluttered depth chart in Utah, it seems like Kessler might be out the door.
Jazz’s Mo Bamba Signing Will Make Lakers Fans Happy
With the negotiations between the Jazz and Kessler falling apart, the organization decided to take a proactive approach. On Thursday, free agent center Mo Bamba agreed to a contract with the Jazz, per HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto. Right now, it’s not clear whether that deal is only for training camp.
The Utah Jazz and Mo Bamba have agreed to a deal, league sources told @hoopshype. The former sixth overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft has averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in seven NBA seasons combined with the Magic, 76ers, Clippers, Lakers, and Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/6sYOas62in
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 25, 2025
A former lottery pick, Bamba’s averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game through seven seasons. In his fourth season, he averaged 10.6 points, 1.7 blocks, and 8.1 rebounds for the Orlando Magic. Notably, he’s a similar player to Kessler in that they’re both great rebounders and defenders. Yet, while there’s no question that there’s overlap, Bamba’s older and less impactful than Kessler. He’s also battled injuries throughout his career.
Getting A Sense Of The Jazz Roster
The problem the Jazz face right now is finding a place for all of their signings.
Again, the details of Bamba’s contract aren’t yet known. What is known is that the Jazz have 17 players on guaranteed contracts right now and that maximum a team can have is 15. Even if they waive Kevin Love, who’s expected to reach a contract buyout agreement, they’re still over the limit.
So, it’ll be interesting to see how their roster develops after camp, when they have to make decisions on who will continue wearing the Jazz jersey.
One Way Or Another
The moment the negotiations fell apart between the Jazz and Kessler, Lakers fans’ dreams of getting the young center became a realistic proposition. He’s now essentially an expiring contract. Unlike this offseason, there will be several teams with cap space to offer money to free agents.
With that in mind, the Lakers can clear cap space to offer him a reasonable contract. Knowing that, his other suitors might be hesitant to trade for him. And, if the Jazz do decide to keep Kessler, he’ll be a restricted free agent in the summer. Meanwhile, as they probably don’t want to lose him for nothing, he could be traded by the deadline. It’s also worth noting, Kessler could be cheaper –on the trade market — due to the fact he’ll be a restricted free agent.
In the summer, the Jazz wanted a young player plus two first-round picks for him. That was a price the Lakers couldn’t afford. The question is whether Kessler will push for the Lakers or not. Future contract aside, he’s an ideal fit next to Luka Doncic because he rolls hard to the basket, finishes well and defends at a high level.
© Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
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