It’s Draft Day Eve! With less than 24 hours left before the NBA Draft, there are more news and rumors that continue to leak out about both the potential pick for Utah, as well as with the Walker Kessler situation.
Is the Walker Kessler situation still in flux?
A few days ago, the Walker Kessler situation appeared to be in better shape after Kessler put out a post saying that he loves Utah.
It was the right move for Kessler if staying in Utah was the goal. It certainly appeared to mollify Jazz fans who were frustrated with Kessler’s refusal of Utah’s 5-year $140M offer. But it’s now been 5 days, and there’s still no deal.
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On Ryen Russillo’s podcast, Sam Amick gave some insight into why that might be.
Amick mentions that one of the issues is the five years. Apparently, they want more flexibility with the contract. That could mean two things. It could mean that Kessler thinks he’ll outplay that contract. If he consistently hits an outside shot and improves in other areas, he could be right. In that case, he could likely earn even more on his next contract, and so a shorter contract makes sense. The other reason is that he would want a shorter contract to get out of his current situation sooner.
It’s not the greatest optics for Kessler right now. The Jazz’s 5-year, $140M offer has been widely considered very fair for Kessler. Maybe he is going to get a better offer on the market, but the longer this goes on, the tougher it’s going to be to hide his real intentions, whatever those are.
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Another interesting point from Amick is that he mentioned all the recent Cam Boozer rumors could have been a message from the Jazz that they can get a cheaper option if they need. Whether that’s the case or not, it sends a message that Utah is willing to move on if they have to.
Finally, Amick also talked about how some players who have to go through a tanking situation tend to think they’ll be rewarded on the other side for going through with everything their team requested. It certainly seems like Utah is doing that with this offer. Kessler was asked to sit at times when he could have played, but he also has missed legitimate time with multiple injuries.
All in all, it’s easy to get frustrated if you’re hoping for a Kessler signing. The longer this goes on, the more fan frustration may start heating up again.
Darryn Peterson had a secret workout with the Jazz
This was a rumor that Bill Simmons revealed on his latest podcast right at the end.
Peterson was asked about the rumor and he confirmed he met with the Jazz. He didn’t say whether it was in Salt Lake or not, though.
Peterson also went on to say that he’d be happy to play with whoever drafts him.
These things don’t mean that he’ll be the for-sure pick for the Jazz if he is available at #2, but they are definitely things you like to hear if you’re rooting for the Jazz to draft Peterson.
