Utah Jazz Eye Block Party: Jaren Jackson Jr, Walker Kessler

Merlin sees Utah adding Jaren Jackson Jr. and planning to keep Walker Kessler as a restricted free agent. Zach Lowe said "they intend to bring him back and at least experiment with a triple big lineup." Jackson carries a long, roughly $50 million per year deal through 2030, while Kessler averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in five games before season-ending shoulder surgery. Retaining Kessler would let Jackson slide to power forward and give the Jazz a true rebounding anchor. Merlin senses upside and fragility. A Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler frontcourt could become a defensive fortress and free up minutes for perimeter youth like Keyonte George, but Kessler’s recovery and lineup versatility against quicker teams are real questions. As an RFA the Jazz keep leverage, and a healthy Kessler makes the ultra-big experiment likely.