Kessler will miss the season after playing only 5 games! Left shoulder labrum tear surgery scheduled for tomorrow — Jazz tanking for the top draft pick?

As of November 6th Beijing time, after just 5 games, Walker Kessler’s fourth NBA season has come to an end. According to The Athletic’s reporter Jones and insider Haynes, the Jazz center will undergo surgery on his left shoulder and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Insider Shams added that Kessler has been diagnosed with a labrum tear, confirming that this big man is out for the season. Haynes revealed that Kessler suffered the shoulder injury early in training camp and that it worsened recently. He also mentioned that Kessler is expected to have surgery this Friday Beijing time.

Kessler was the 22nd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and was traded from the Timberwolves to the Jazz in the major deal involving Gobert that summer. The 24-year-old has since become the Jazz’s starting center, posting career highs last season with averages of 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over 58 games. He also matched his career best with 2.4 blocks per game and led the league with 4.6 offensive rebounds per game.

This season, Kessler started the Jazz’s first 5 games, averaging 30.8 minutes, 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. He then missed the last two games due to what the team initially called left shoulder bursitis.

Kessler’s injury might not significantly affect the Jazz’s outlook this season — given that the team will lose its 2026 first-round pick if it falls outside the top eight, the Jazz were already considered likely lottery contenders.Without Kessler, the Jazz are probably set to fully tank for the top draft pick. However, for the young player, this is a harsh turning point: he failed to reach a rookie extension deal with the team before the season started, and his contract expires next summer.

Kessler’s salary this season is $4.88 million. As long as the Jazz extend a qualifying offer of $7.06 million, he will become a restricted free agent in 2026. Under these circumstances, the Jazz, expected to have substantial salary cap space, will likely reserve about $14.64 million in cap hold for Kessler. Once the team uses up its cap space, it can use the Bird rights to exceed the cap and re-sign him for more than that amount.

With Kessler sidelined, Nurkic will continue as the Jazz’s starting center, while second-year big man Phillipski will get consistent minutes off the bench. Following Kessler’s injury, power forward Kevin Love has also entered the rotation, averaging 15.5 minutes in the last two games.