Kessler (shoulder) did not travel with the team to Charlotte and is undergoing further testing.
Kessler was already set to miss his first game of the season Sunday and now appears at risk of missing the remainder of Utah's four-game road trip after staying behind to treat a left shoulder injury. Jusuf Nurkic is expected to start in his place Sunday and should handle the bulk of the center minutes for as long as the Auburn product is sidelined.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Sunday
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Kessler has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Hornets due to shoulder bursitis, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler will miss the front end of Utah's back-to-back set due to the shoulder issue, and his next chance to suit up will come Monday against the Celtics. With the big man sidelined, Kyle Filipowski, Jusuf Nurkic and Taylor Hendricks are candidates for increased minutes.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Second straight double-double
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Kessler supplied 18 points (7-12 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 1-3 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 32 minutes during Wednesday's 136-134 loss to the Trail Blazers.
After getting stuck at exactly nine rebounds in each of the first two games of the season, Kessler has two straight double-doubles while doing his usual job of protecting the rim. The fourth-year center is averaging 17.0 points, 10.3 boards, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, 1.5 steals and a surprising 1.5 threes on 75.0 percent shooting (6-for-8) from beyond the arc.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Back on track in win
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Kessler closed Monday's 138-134 overtime victory over the Suns with 25 points (9-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 35 minutes.
Kessler bounced back after a subpar showing during Friday's loss to the Kings, recording his first double-double of the season Monday. He also blocked four shots for the second time this season. Kessler is averaging 16.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 2.7 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers per game through three games.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Cleared to return to action
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Kessler (shoulder) is available for Thursday's preseason finale against the Trail Blazers, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Thursday will be Kessler's preseason debut, a welcome sign after he missed each of Utah's first three exhibition tilts with a shoulder injury. The 2022 first-rounder could see a significant amount of playing time Thursday in what the Jazz could treat as a dress rehearsal for Opening Night.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Monday
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Kessler (shoulder) has been ruled out for Monday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler has yet to suit up during the preseason, and his final chance to do so will come Thursday in Portland. The big man was a full participant during Sunday's practice, so despite being sidelined again, Kessler should be ready for Opening Night.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Out for preseason opener
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Kessler (shoulder) is out for Wednesday's preseason game against the Rockets, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler is dealing with left shoulder bursitis, which will cause him to miss Utah's preseason opener. His next chance to play comes Friday in San Antonio. Jusuf Nurkic will be a candidate to fill in at center Wednesday, while the Jazz could also opt to take an extended look at two-way player Oscar Tshiebwe.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Dealing with shoulder soreness
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Kessler missed Saturday's practice due to left shoulder soreness, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler missed the last five games of the 2024-25 campaign due to a concussion, and he now finds himself dealing with a shoulder issue ahead of the preseason. Kessler and the Jazz have been unable to agree on an extension, which seemed to be a sore spot for Kessler during the team's media day. The disconnect could be due to cap-management reasons -- potentially delaying an extension until next summer -- but that remains to be seen. Kessler remains uncertain to play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Rockets.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Not playing Sunday
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Kessler (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Timberwolves.
Kessler entered concussion protocols April 3, and it will end up sidelining him for the Jazz's final five games of the regular season. Oscar Tshiebwe and Kyle Filipowski will serve as Utah's primary big men for Sunday's regular-season finale in Walker's absence. The third-year big man out of Auburn put up solid numbers for the Jazz this season. Still, injuries and reconditioning caused him to miss 17 of the Jazz's 33 games since Jan. 1. With Utah failing to qualify for the postseason, Kessler will finish the 2024-25 regular season averaging 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.4 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game across 58 outings.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Wednesday
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Kessler (nose/concussion) is out for Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers.
A nasal fracture and concussion will keep Kessler from playing Wednesday. With two games left on the 2024-25 calendar for the rebuilding Jazz, it wouldn't be shocking if Kessler has made his final appearance this season. Kyle Filipowski has averaged 13.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 28.7 minutes over his last nine outings as starter, and he should continue to fill in for Kessler at center against Portland.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Another absence coming
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Kessler (nose/concussion) is out for Sunday's game versus the Hawks.
Kessler will miss his second straight contest Sunday due to a nasal fracture and being in concussion protocol. Kessler's next chance to suit up is Wednesday's matchup with Portland.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play against Indiana
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Kessler is out for Friday's game versus the Pacers due to a nasal fracture and concussion protocol.
Kessler logged 28 minutes in his return to action Wednesday but will sit out Friday's contest due to being in concussion protocol and a nasal fracture. KJ Martin and Kyle Filipowski will likely receive increased playing time in his absence. Kessler's next chance to suit up is Sunday's matchup with Atlanta.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Double-double in Wednesday's return
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Kessler amassed 11 points (5-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-5 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 28 minutes during Wednesday's 143-105 loss to the Rockets.
After sitting out the last two games for conditioning reasons, Kessler looked fit as he recorded his 28th double-double of the season. The Jazz are after draft lottery odds and not wins, so Kessler is likely to continue getting rested over the final weeks of the regular season, but he's remained productive when in the lineup. Over 16 appearances since the All-Star break, the 23-year-old center is averaging 10.3 points, 13.2 boards, 2.3 blocks and 2.0 assists while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Remaining out for Monday
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Kessler has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Hornets due to return to competition reconditioning.
Kessler will miss his second consecutive contest while the club works him back to playing form after missing Friday's loss to Denver due to an illness. The big man's next chance to play will come Wednesday against the Rockets. Kyle Filipowski and Oscar Tshiebwe will likely continue to receive an uptick in playing time due to Kessler being sidelined.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Sitting out Friday
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Kessler (illness) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Nuggets, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.
The star big man will have a few days to recover from the illness, with his next chance to play coming Monday against the Nuggets. In Kessler's absence Friday, the Jazz will likely tun to Kyle Filipowski and Oscar Tshiebwe to cover the available center minutes.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Muted performance in loss
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Kessler supplied two points (1-3 FG), nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal across 26 minutes during Thursday's 121-110 loss to Houston.
Kessler has been held to single-digit points in his last six appearances. Although he's been ice-cold offensively with a 34.7 percent mark from the field in that span, his rebounding (9.8 boards) and shot-blocking (2.0 blocks) have continued to be positives.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Grabs 11 rebounds in loss
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Kessler ended with eight points (4-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 11 rebounds, six assists and one block across 29 minutes during Friday's 121-99 loss to the Celtics.
Kessler lost the battle under the basket against Kristaps Porzingis, but he did manage to record one more rebound over his opponent. The Auburn product has posted some explosive totals during his third season with Utah, and he's recorded 26 double-doubles over 54 games. It's a vast improvement over a disappointing sophomore season where he failed to meet expectations. His health has been a concern, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Kessler's minutes decrease as the Jazz run out the clock on a lost season.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Swats three shots in defeat
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Kessler recorded seven points (3-11 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 12 rebounds, three blocks and one assist over 31 minutes during Monday's 111-97 loss to the Bulls.
Kessler led the club in blocks Monday, marking his 36th outing with multiple swats across 52 regular-season appearances. Additionally, the 23-year-old racked up a game-best 12 rebounds and has logged double-digit boards in nine of his last 10 appearances. However, the big man struggled from the field, and over his past two games, he has shot 1-for-11 from beyond the arc. Kessler had attempted only six triples on the season before that two-game span.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Starting Sunday vs. Minnesota
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Kessler is in the Jazz's starting five against the Timberwolves on Sunday.
Despite not being on the injury report, Kessler was a healthy scratch for Friday's loss to the Raptors, but he'll reenter the starting five in place of Kyle Filipowski. Kessler has averaged 12.9 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.8 blocks over 32.4 minutes per game since the beginning of February.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Sits out Friday
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Kessler (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Friday's 126-118 loss to the Raptors.
Though the Jazz made Kessler active for the contest, the third-year center unexpectedly ceded his spot in the top unit to Kyle Filipowski after starting in each of his first 50 appearances of the season. Utah ended up choosing to hold Kessler out for the game, and head coach Will Hardy also limited playing time for other key regulars such as Lauri Markkanen (19 minutes) and Collin Sexton (20 minutes). At this point in the season, the 15-52 Jazz have shown no hesitation about putting non-competitive lineups on the floor as they look to improve their odds in the draft lottery, so Kessler could be subject to more absences over the next month even though he's ostensibly healthy.
