The Utah Jazz have had an incredible offseason by all accounts. Whether it was the luck of winning the lottery and getting Darryn Peterson with the second pick, or getting an incredible haul for Walker Kessler in a trade that took advantage of a desperate Lakers squad. With the recent ownership drama with the Lakers, it’s feeling like a better trade every single day. It’s starting to feel like the Jazz were not only taking advantage of Luka Doncic wanting them to trade for Kessler, but likely ownership trying to set the team up long-term for the massive sale as well.
It looks like the Jazz are not done as well. According to Tim MacMahon, the Jazz will be looking to fill the void left by Walker Kessler leaving.
Finding a long-term solution at center will be a priority for the front office, but it will probably require some patience. The Jazz will keep an eye on the trade market, and at some point, they’ll likely use some of the draft capital acquired in the Kessler sign-and-trade to target his replacement
Losing Kessler will obviously cost the Jazz some wins in the short term, but Utah can then find a replacement that fits better with their roster. At some point this season, Utah may find an opportunity to find a “long-term” solution. There could be a team out there that needs to offload assets and Utah will have the ability to take advantage. The biggest weapon for Utah is that they don’t have to rush things. Not being under pressure will allow them to wait for the best possible option.
