There was no shock late twist to Walker Kessler's contract situation at the Utah Jazz on Monday, with no extension forthcoming before the deadline which now makes the young center an intriguing potential trade target for the Golden State Warriors and other rival teams around the NBA.
ESPN's Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps floated the idea of Kessler as a trade option last week, but what would a potential deal look like from a Warrior perspective? The 24-year-old's $4.9 million salary this season is easy to match from a financial standpoint, but that doesn't mean he'd come at all cheaply.
Warriors could acquire Jazz center Walker Kessler at a painful cost
Golden State do have future picks that they could throw to Utah in a potential trade, but what about a deal with no draft capital involved? Would both teams consider the below trade?
Warriors receive: Walker Kessler
Jazz receive: Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis
The Warriors would have to throw in Jackson-Davis or another end of roster player to make the contracts work, but essentially this is a Podziemski-for-Kessler swap from a value perspective. Jackson-Davis makes the most sense given both he and Kessler are centers, yet it could be Gui Santos or another minimum salary player if needed.
Why the Jazz would consider it
Given no extension came before Monday's deadline, the Jazz have already shown they're not yet willing to offer the sort of five-year, $116 million deal that Marks and Bontemps placed as their evaluation of the former first-round pick.
If Utah don't want to enter restricted free agency with Kessler, why not flip him for someone who's still on his rookie contract until the end of the 2026-27 season? Podziemski is already arguably more proven than Kessler as well, particularly when it comes to playing winning basketball.
Perhaps outside of Keyonte George, Podziemski is also more proven than any of Utah's current young players in the back court perhaps. Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier didn't have great rookie years, while Walter Clayton Jr. is still an unknown at NBA level heading into his debut season.
We also know that the Jazz coveted Podziemski in trade talks surrounding Lauri Markkanen last year, so it's not inconceivable to suggest they'd do so again and be willing to execute this trade.
Why the Warriors would consider it
Golden State's acquisition of Al Horford is set to have a huge impact this season, but it's not a long-term answer and the 39-year-old is only set to play 20 minutes per game (and rest from back-to-backs) anyway.
Acquiring Kessler would be a major upgrade to Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post, both of whom haven't consistently shown the ability to be a starting center at this stage. Kessler's size, rebounding and shot-blocking would bring a new dimension to the Warriors, while he's also starting to flash intriguing ability as a passer and even as a 3-point shooting threat.
Giving up Podziemski would be painful for Golden State, and perhaps they'd ultimately choose not to give up a young player they know fits their system for someone who's more unknown within their style.
However, with Moses Moody firming as the starting shooting guard before his current calf injury, Will Richard showing impressive signs during preseason, and De'Anthony Melton still to return from his ACL injury, perhaps the Warriors believe they can cover for Podziemski if it means upgrading their center rotation and finding a long-term big for the future.
It's also unlikely that they'd be able to pay both Podziemski and Kessler going forward if Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler remain on big contracts beyond 2027, meaning it would make some sense for Podziemski to go out if Golden State view Kessler as a legitimate trade target.