Utah Jazz already ready to consider trading recently drafted first-round pick

The Utah Jazz have made several significant changes since being eliminated in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Head coach Quin Snyder was replaced by Will Hardy, but the most notable changes came with the trade of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

These moves led the Jazz from winning 49 games in 2022 to 37 in 2023 and 31 last season. Needless to say, Jazz is still searching for its new identity in the post-Mitchell/Gobert era.

It’s not like the Jazz don’t have plenty of young talent with the potential to become stars, we just haven’t seen it yet. Additionally, just when the Jazz decided to make these blockbuster trades, expectations plummeted, especially since most of the assets recovered would not be paid immediately.

Yet the Jazz still managed to land several intriguing players via trade, and now one of them is reportedly already on the trading block.

Related: Brian Windhorst Drops Another Strong Hint About Next Major NBA Trade

Utah Jazz listen to trade offers for Walker Kessler

One of the key pieces the Utah Jazz picked up after trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves was then-rookie Walker Kessler, who was selected 22nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. 7-footer was a dominant rim protector in college, where he won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Two years into his career, it’s safe to say that Kessler’s ability to block shots has translated very well to the NBA. Even as a rookie, Kessler averaged 2.3 blocks per game last year, which increased to 2.4 BPG. But he barely played, with Utah only feeding him 22 minutes per game; However, translated as an average over 36 minutes, Kessler’s BPG reaches 3.7.

Still, according to Yahoo’s Jake Fischer, the Jazz may now consider trading the 22-year-old shot-blocking wizard.

“Rival teams believe Utah is ready to engage in trade talks that would part ways with Jazz second-year center Walker Kessler.”

Jake Fischer on Utah Jazz and Walker Kessler trade rumors

Without knowing what other moves the Jazz have up their sleeve, it’s a little shocking to learn that Utah is already considering moving on from Kessler. They don’t have a ready-made replacement on the roster, and while Lauri Markkanen is also seven feet tall, he profiles much better as a power forward thanks to his scoring ability on the perimeter and his lack of rim protection.

Still, it’s a long offseason and the Jazz have just over $38 million in cap space, allowing them to be aggressive in free agency. Utah also holds the 10th, 29th and 32nd overall picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. With so much flexibility, it makes sense for the Jazz to keep all of their options open ahead of a busy summer.

Related: 18-year-old Florida basketball player Olivier Rioux is creating huge buzz with his ridiculous 7-foot-9 height