The Jazz don’t have a clean Walker Kessler clone sitting around, and that’s the whole point. Kessler’s value came from a rare blend: elite rim protection, strong rebounding, and a developing feel as a floor-spacer and passer. Utah’s current center-by-committee setup with Jusuf Nurkic, Jaxson Hayes, and Mo Bamba doesn’t come close to matching that package.
So the more interesting question is whether the answer is already on the roster in a different form.
Kyle Filipowski has barely been part of the conversation this summer, which is strange given how quickly he showed he could help the Jazz. He is not Kessler, and nobody should pretend otherwise.
But Utah may not need him to be. The better argument is that Filipowski can absorb some of the impact Kessler provided in his own way.
His offensive game is the obvious draw. Filipowski brings a pure shooting stroke, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his accuracy takes a big leap.
He also shows impressive vision on interior passes, along with soft touch and good hands for a big man. The foot speed and rim protection are still concerns, but the upside is real.
That’s why the Jazz have reason to lean into him. The sample is small, but when Utah paired Filipowski with Kessler and Lauri Markkanen, the results were encouraging. Early last season, Markkanen and Filipowski also worked as a positive combination, which gives the team a real foundation to build on.
And no, Filipowski doesn’t need to become a rim protector to make this work. That isn’t his game.
If Utah is looking for someone to replace Kessler’s defensive impact, that burden would fall elsewhere. Filipowski’s job would be different: rebound, move the ball, space the floor, and keep the offense flowing.
That’s part of why the Jazz can afford to be patient. They may not have a player who matches Kessler’s exact skill set, but they do have someone who has already shown he can fit into winning basketball, even in short bursts. For now, that may be enough for Utah to keep moving without rushing into a move.
In Other News...
Jazz Trade Talk Just Drew A Clear Line Around The Core
The Jazzs roster picture has started to sharpen, and the names sitting at the center of it tell you a lot about where the franchise thinks it is headed. Lauri Markkanen remains a major piece after signing a significant contract extension, while Ace Bailey is already being viewed as part of the teams long-term foundation on a rookie deal. Add Darryn Peterson to the mix, and the front offices priorities come into focus: this is not a roster built around cashing in its most important young assets.
Petersons presence on that list is especially telling, because the organization appears to see him as a potential franchise cornerstone rather than a movable piece in the next wave of roster reshuffling. For a team that has spent plenty of time in trade speculation, drawing a clear line around those three players signals a firmer sense of direction, even if the rest of the roster is still subject to the usual churn. The bigger question now is how aggressively Utah plans to build around that core once the rest of the league comes calling. [Read more 🡒]