The Utah Jazz have picked up their team option on Walker Kessler's contract, tying him up for an additional year. The seven-footer is set to enter his sophomore campaign in 2023-24. After arriving in the trade that sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, Kessler had a very productive debut year in the NBA, which included a selection to the All-Rookie First Team. He averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. In 40 starts with the team, Kessler was a double-double machine by recording 11.5 points with 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. The 22-year-old is among the best young big men in the league and will only get better with more experience.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has hit the gym hard over the summer, gaining 15 pounds of muscle, according to The Athletic's Tony Jones. "A lot of the offseason has been about gaining weight and gaining strength," Kessler said. "It's been a lot of hard work. But I'm excited to try and put myself in a position to make a difference on the floor, so the work has been a lot of fun. I love the weight room. I love working on my body." The 22-year-old had an impressive first year with the Jazz and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 9.2 points and 8.4 rebounds with 2.3 blocks. Kessler is set to be an even bigger force under the rim as he gets stronger.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (concussion) was forced to exit early during Sunday's game after taking a shot to the head from a teammate. The rookie big man has now entered concussion protocol. That being said, Kessler could very well miss the rest of the regular season. If that's true, the Jazz would likely use a committee approach to help fill the void. That means, Kelly Olynyk, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Udoka Azubuike would all likely see increased roles. Currently, Kessler is averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks and is one the league leaders in field goal percentage. It has been an impressive first season for the 21-year-old big man.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (head) left Sunday's game versus the Brooklyn Nets and did not return. Kessler took a hit to the head and was visibly shaken, displaying symptoms of a concussion, and immediately went to the locker room before being ruled out. Kessler played just 21 minutes, recording six points and eight rebounds in the loss. The Utah staff will be re-evaluating Kessler on Monday to determine if he will land in the league's concussion protocols. Kessler should be considered questionable for their next game Tuesday. If Kessler is unable to go, Kelly Olynyk, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Udoka Azubuike should all see increased minutes. Kris Dunn may also see extra minutes in small-ball lineups.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler netted a career-high 31 points and recorded 11 rebounds in Saturday's 121-113 loss to the Kings. He was incredibly efficient with 14-for-16 shooting and completed his work with two assists, one steal and one rebound. The Rudy Gobert era has become a distant memory for Jazz fans, with the Auburn product making a big impact at both ends of the floor. Kessler has registered 12.2 points and 11.3 rebounds with 3.2 blocks since the All-Star break, shooting over 75 percent from the field.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler posted a 12-point, 14-rebound double-double and blocked Grant Williams at the rim in the closing seconds for a sweet 118-117 victory over Boston on Saturday. The young big man notched his third block of the night with the game-winning move. Kessler shot 5-for-7 from the field in the game and also helped out on offense with one assist. The former Auburn man has become a double-double machine for the Jazz and is now averaging 11.0 points with 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks as a starter. He's a massive presence on the defensive end, but Kessler could also stand out offensively in the next couple of games against the Kings and Trail Blazers, who struggle to contain opposing bigs.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (illness) is available for Thursday's game against the Orlando Magic. The big man is back after a one-game absence due to a non-COVID related illness. The 21-year-old has been solid lately, averaging 10.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocks during his last six games. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Kessler back in their lineups on Thursday. His return will mean Kelly Olynyk and Damian Jones will see reduced playing time.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (illness) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game versus the Dallas Mavericks. Kessler will be sidelined due to a non-COVID illness after being listed as questionable to play. With Kessler out, the Jazz should turn to Kelly Olynyk and Damian Jones to pick up the extra minutes at center. Rudy Gay may also see a slight bump in minutes.

The NBA trade deadline has officially come and gone and we had one of the most active deadlines in recent memory with some big stars being dealt. Kyrie, KD, and Westbrook are all heading to new teams and we have been covering those trades and their fantasy impacts here at RotoBaller.But there were plenty of other lesser-known players who were dealt in the last few days and I wanted to go through and make sure we don't overlook some of these trades as some of those deals may even have more fantasy impact than the big moves.So here are some other trades that went down and my two cents on the increase or decrease in value that we should expect from the players involved for the remainder of the 2022-2023 fantasy basketball season. 

Moves That Matter

These are very much in order of how much they matter. Let's start with the Spurs sending their starting center back up North where he started his career.Jakob Poeltl to the RaptorsI am a huge Poeltl fan and was close to acquiring him on multiple teams before the deadline. It was a curious move by Toronto to be buyers instead of sellers at the deadline, but Poeltl gives them the presence at the five they have been lacking all season and allows Siakam to shift over and play PF where he belongs.Poeltl is no longer a shutdown candidate and has legit top-50 upside with his multi-category abilities. His departure also makes ... [More]

As hectic as this year's NBA trade deadline has been, with 28 out of the 30 teams making at least one trade, early Thursday morning at 1:00 am, a blockbuster trade went down that not many expected. However, if you had read my previous article, you could have gotten a glimpse of the future thanks to my magic ball, as the first "potential trade" I wrote about was sending Kevin Durant to none other than the Pheonix Suns.Kevin Durant is undeniably a top-three player and arguably even the best in the NBA right now. It's not surprising to hear how stunned the NBA world was after seeing this trade, as the Suns sold a huge chunk of their future for the Nets superstar but were somehow saved from involving Deandre Ayton in the trade!Any average NBA fan knows how much of an impact future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant has on any team, but to emphasize just how much, check this out: The Suns went from odds of +1800 of winning the finals to +450 on Thursday morning after the huge trade, now only behind the Boston Celtics, who lead the race with their odds being +350. 

Kevin Durant's Season Recap

Durant (knee) has been sidelined for over a month after getting hurt on January 8 against the Miami Heat and remains without a timetable to return to make his debut with the Suns. Before getting hurt, the 13-time All-Star was averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 36 minutes in 39 appearances this season.

FULL TRADE DETAILS:

Suns- Kevin Durant- TJ WarrenNets- ... [More]

The Russell Westbrook experiment in Los Angeles has been less than ideal over the past two years and has officially come to an end. With the West stocking up everywhere, the Lakers knew they had to make a splash in order to make a push to the playoffs.The Lakers executed a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, involving a total of eight players and multiple draft picks Wednesday night. The Lakers sent Russell Westbrook, Juan Tuscano-Anderson, and Damian Jones to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt while also acquiring D'Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz also sent Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Timberwolves while accumulating even more draft capital.So just what is the fantasy basketball fallout of this blockbuster trade? Let's examine how each of the teams and players in the deal may be affected going forward. 

Fantasy Basketball Fallout: Russell Westbrook

Westbrook is expected to be bought out from Utah and enter free agency. There are already rumors of teams interested in the veteran point guard, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls. If Westbrook were to be claimed, he would likely be given a prominent role immediately given these three teams are all lacking in the point guard position. Westbrook's caveat has always been his personality fit so it remains to be seen how well he can mesh with his new team if he is claimed. 

Fantasy Basketball Fallout: Lakers

The Lakers get some much-needed spacing and size with the additions of Russell, Beasley, and Vanderbilt. Russell is shooting a career-high 39.1 percent from three while averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this season. Russell should absorb Westbrook's minutes and will likely start at point guard over ... [More]

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler registered his first-ever 20-20 game on Monday against Minnesota, collecting 20 points and 21 rebounds in a 126-125 win. He shot 9-for-13 in the game and also found time to pick up four rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes on the court. It was a very special outing for the 21-year-old rookie, who has traded away in the summer by Minnesota in the Rudy Gobert deal. Monday marked the 10th career start for Kessler, and he has been very productive as a member of the starting unit with averages of 11.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (illness) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The rookie big man has missed two games with a non-COVID related illness. It has been tough for Kessler to make a significant impact with Jarred Vanderbilt and Kelly Olynyk starting right now. Fantasy managers should be patient because Kessler should eventually join the starting five at some point this season. In the meantime, he'll continue to play backup minutes alongside Udoka Azubuike in the second unit. Fantasy managers should check back closer to game time to see if Kessler is cleared to play on Monday.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (illness) won't play on Friday against the Denver Nuggets. The rookie is under the weather, although fortunately, it's not COVID-related. Kessler has played well in his first five professional appearances, averaging 5.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, including amassing a double-double in the season-opener. As a result, Udoka Azubuike may see some minutes. However, he likely won't receive enough to justify his presence in any fantasy lineup.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (illness) has been listed as questionable for Friday night. He's suffering from an illness and will be re-evaluated before the game. The rookie had a great game in his debut but has seen dwindling playing time since then. So far he's averaging 5.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. He's sure to see fluctuating playing time as the season goes on. He's a must-add in dynasty formats, but outside of that, he can be left on the waiver wire until he gets more opportunities.