Walker Kessler is on the verge of landing a payday that should make Auburn fans grin from ear to ear.
Per The Athletic’s Tony Jones, “Utah Jazz restricted free agent Walker Kessler has had meetings with a couple of teams and is headed to another meeting, league sources tell The Athletic. He holds multiple offers in the mid to high 30’s annually, along with structure of his choice, including player options.”
The next step appears to be another serious bidder, and The Athletic’s Dan Woike later reported that “One of the teams with interest in Kessler, sources tell me, is the Los Angeles Lakers.” Put those pieces together, and the Lakers look like the team setting up an offer in the neighborhood of nearly $40 million a year for the 24-year-old.
That lines up with what NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson told me earlier this month: “Walker Kessler, specifically, is of interest to the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers.” Robinson also said, “I have also heard Walker Kessler is unhappy in Utah because, what are they doing?” Kessler is a restricted free agent, so the Jazz can match any offer sheet, but the buzz doesn’t suggest a reunion in Utah is the most likely outcome.
The financial picture gets even more interesting when you compare Kessler to another former Auburn big man. His annual salary appears set to top Jabari Smith’s, who signed a five-year, $122 million rookie-scale extension with the Houston Rockets. Houston didn’t wait around on Smith the way Kessler’s market is playing out, locking him in last October.
Smith was expected to become a franchise piece for the Rockets when he left Auburn, but his role has settled into more of a complementary one alongside Alperen Sengun. Kessler, meanwhile, was always viewed as a defensive anchor with his offensive game centered on finishes at the rim.
The difference is that he’s done that job so well that he’s about to command a contract that dwarfs Smith’s in comparison. Not that it’s a competition.
For Auburn, this is just the latest sign that its NBA presence keeps growing. Not long ago, Chuma Okeke and Isaac Okoro were the main names carrying the Tigers’ banner in the league during the 21st century. With all due respect to both, their combined NBA earnings won’t surpass what Kessler and Smith are set to make together next season.
The pipeline keeps getting deeper, too. Auburn already has more players in the league and more recognizable names, and there’s a chance that could grow again if Johni Broome, who was taken No. 35 overall in 2025, and current Tigers big man Narcisse Ngoy, listed No. 57 overall in 2026 as a draft-and-stash, eventually add to the mix. Chaney Johnson also just signed a two-way qualifying offer with the Brooklyn Nets, giving Auburn another pro connection.
Those were Bruce Pearl recruits, though, and now Steven Pearl has to build his own list of future NBA standouts. The good news is he learned from the best to ever do it in Lee County, Alabama, and the track record already gives Auburn plenty to feel good about.
In Other News...
What John Mateer Just Admitted About Auburn Still Stings
John Mateers comments about the hand injury he suffered against Auburn were a reminder of how quickly a game can change for a quarterback and a team. The Oklahoma signal-caller talked candidly about the challenge of dealing with the injury and about the difference in his performance before and after it, which only adds another layer to a meeting Tigers fans already saw as physical and consequential.
For Auburn, the sting is less about Mateers words than what they confirm about that night and what it meant for the rest of the SEC picture. While the Sooners were sorting through the aftermath of his injury, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt was looking even farther down the conference road, pointing to Georgia and Alabama as the teams most likely to get back to the SEC Championship Game, with their Week 6 showdown looming as a major checkpoint. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Closing In On A Huge In-State Recruiting Decision
Auburn is in the thick of another important in-state recruiting battle, this time with Marquis Evans, a four-star defensive lineman from Alabama who has trimmed his list to five schools ahead of a July 1 commitment. Evans is one of the more intriguing names on Auburns board, ranked among the nations best at his position and already viewed as a priority target for a Tigers class that has been building real momentum on the defensive front.
For Auburn, the appeal is obvious. Adding Evans would further strengthen a 2027 group that already looks loaded with defensive line talent, and it would give the Tigers another high-end local piece to sell in future recruiting pitches. The next step comes quickly, with Evans set to make his decision on Rivals Summer Signing Day, and Auburn will be watching closely to see whether it can finish off a major home-state win. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fan Favorite Chaney Johnson Is Still Building Something In Brooklyn
Chaney Johnsons path from Auburn fan favorite to NBA hopeful has kept stretching farther than a lot of people might have expected, and now it has reached another checkpoint in Brooklyn. After a late-season audition that clearly left an impression, Johnson has landed a two-way contract with the Nets for the 2026-27 season, a sign that his work with the organization has done more than just keep him in the mix. He also brings a real body of pro experience with him, having already logged time in both the NBA and the G League for Brooklyns affiliate.
For Auburn fans, the appeal is easy to understand: Johnson has kept finding ways to stay relevant at the next level, whether it was in brief NBA minutes or longer stretches in Long Island. The Nets are still giving him runway, too, with Johnson set to take part in Brooklyns summer-league team events next month. What he can do with that opportunity will matter, because these kinds of roster spots are often less about arrival than about proving there is still another step to take. [Read more 🡒]