Jazz and Walker Kessler at impasse over $140M offer

The Utah Jazz and their restricted free agent center, Walker Kessler, remain far apart in contract negotiations despite the team having offered a five-year deal worth $140 million, according to reports on Wednesday. The 24-year-old and his representatives are seeking a significantly larger contract.

Kessler, a 7-foot-2 defensive specialist, is reportedly frustrated with the franchise's handling of his restricted free agency, including the lack of an extension offer last summer. The Jazz are expected to issue him a one-year, $7.1 million qualifying offer by the end of June, which would formally make him a restricted free agent and allow him to negotiate with other teams starting June 30. Utah retains the right to match any offer sheet he signs.

The reported $140 million offer would average $28 million per season, a figure that would place Kessler's annual value above several established starting centers. However, his camp is believed to be seeking a contract closer to the five-year, $185 million rookie-scale extension signed by Houston's Alperen Sengun in 2024.

Kessler's value is rooted in his elite rebounding and shot-blocking. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2...