NBA rumors: Knicks pursued Walker Kessler trade with Jazz

After he was almost traded to the New York Knicks, Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler could be on the move soon. He was reportedly involved in a botched trade with the Knicks that could spell the end of Kessler’s tenure with the Jazz, according to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.

“Per multiple sources, Utah has discussed Kessler previously in trade, including a stalled conversation with the New York Knicks,” Pincus said. “He doesn’t seem part of the team’s long-term plan.”

Walker Kessler averaged 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game for the Jazz last season. He’s only 23 and with two years remaining on his rookie deal, would have fit the Knicks’ timeline and immediate need for a starting center.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson had surgery on his left ankle in May. After the Knicks medical staff found a stress reaction following Game 1 of New York’s best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers, it ended his season.

In a season riddled with injuries, Robinson went under the knife for the second time in less than six months. A surgery to correct a stress fracture in December forced him to miss 50 games, and there’s no telling if he’ll be ready for the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

Robinson averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 31 games last year.

Knicks in the market for a Mitchell Robinson replacement

With the Knicks’ championship window conceivably cracked open, many wonder if New York can stay afloat with the rest of the NBA’s upper-echelon teams without a healthy starting center. Robinson, who hasn’t played 60+ games in a regular season since 2021-22, is going to have to ease into 2024-25 slowly as the Knicks are gearing up for what they hope will be a deep playoff run in 2025.

In the meantime, New York will be in the market for Robinson’s backup. The Knicks watched Isaiah Hartenstein sign a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason, a tremendous blow to New York’s frontcourt as Hartenstein, for some, was seen as an upgrade to Robinson’s production in the most. While averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, very similar numbers to Mitchell’s, Hartenstein emerged as a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.

At the beginning of the regular season, expect to see Precious Achiuwa getting plenty of minutes at center. The 24-year-old center who was dealt mid-season from the Toronto Raptors could be a viable option while Robinson is on the mend. He averaged 7.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 2023-24.