Following Myles Turner's departure in the offseason, the Indiana Pacers are on the hunt for his replacement, and they may have just found it: Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler.
Kessler has been in the rumor mill in the past, and even Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently mocked up a trade that would send him to Indiana. Trading for the 24-year-old could be in the Pacers' best interest, and this possibility just became even more of a possibility.
According to The Athletic's Tony Jones, Kessler and the Jazz are not expected to reach an agreement on a rookie-scale contract, which would make him a restricted free agent for next summer.
"The Utah Jazz and Walker Kessler will not reach an agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension, league sources tell The Athletic, which clears the way for the starting center to reach restricted free agency next summer," Jones wrote.
This does not immediately mean that Kessler will not remain in Utah, but it is telling that they are not committed to him. There is a lot to like about him, and if the Jazz were to consider moving on from him, the Pacers must be one of the first teams to give them a call and make something happen.
Walker Kessler would be a great addition for the Pacers
With Turner no longer on the roster, the Pacers are now running a center-by-committee instead of committing to a one-for-one replacement for him. To make this happen, the team currently has four centers rostered: Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley. For one reason or another, all of these players provide value, but this is still not an ideal situation.
Maybe not next season, but the Pacers have championship aspirations and want to win their first-ever NBA title after being so close last season. It can work, but the committee at center is not too inspiring for fans as the team looks to remain competitive. This is where Kessler could come into play.
The most obvious downside to Kessler's potential fit with the Pacers is that he is not a stretch big whatsoever. Through his first three seasons in the NBA, Kessler is a career 19.6% three-point shooter on 0.3 attempts per game. This is the complete opposite of Turner, whose perimeter presence made him so valuable in Indiana. However, despite this, there is still a lot to like about Kessler and what he brings to the table.
Last season, the former first-rounder had a career year, averaging 11.1 points on 66.3% from the field, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. Additionally, he led the league in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 4.6. With how bad the Pacers have been (and likely still will be) as a rebounding team, this would provide them with a huge boost.
Kessler's game is mostly in the paint, but he would provide a presence the Pacers have not had in a long time. He is a fantastic rim protector, and given how dominant he is on the boards (especially on the offensive side), he could provide a lot of value to Indiana's offense as well. It also helps that, at just 24 years old, Kessler still has room to develop and fits the Pacers' timeline.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen exactly how likely the Jazz are to trade for Kessler. Plus, even if they are willing to do so, the Pacers would likely have to give up a legitimate asset to make such a deal happen. This could be risky, but Kessler may be the Pacers' best option at center as they look to re-establish themselves as title contenders. At the very least, exploring this possibility would be a good idea for them as they aim to navigate through life without Turner for the first time in a decade.