SkyHook wrote:Daddy 801 wrote:Spoiler:
I expect Ainge will sign Kessler to a long term deal. They are probably off on value right now and Ainge is telling him to go prove himself for the first part of the season so they can see if he is worth paying 25 million that I assume Kessler camp is asking for over the 18-20 that the Jazz are probably offering right now. My numbers may be off a little, but that’s what I assume is roughly what is happening at the moment. Utah is in no rush to sign Kessler long term yet.
With the Jazz prioritizing cap space in 2026, they may hold off on an extension simply because his cap hold is relatively small next offseason.
That’s what I think the holdup is. With the trade exception they received and the cap space they have it’s in their best interest to wait until after the trade deadline to see if they can utilize both to their full potential and then sign Kessler. I assume they basically told Kessler if you want security and your extension now it’s X amount (say 17-20 million) and if you want a bigger deal (say 20-25 a year) you will have to wait. If Kessler is holding out for more Utah has no reason to sign him yet. Maybe he is traded with the exception to some other team and a bad contract for X amount of picks or whatever. Who knows what will happen, but it creates a ton more of flexibility to wait.
