Who Steps Up With Walker Kessler Out For 2025-26 Season?

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz suffered a significant setback when the team announced that center Walker Kessler would miss the rest of the season due to a torn labrum.

Although the Jazz weren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot this year, losing a full season of development for Kessler and his teammates represents a clear step backward for the franchise.

Related: Walker Kessler to miss remainder of 2025-26 season

Can the Jazz Replace Walker Kessler?

Head coach Will Hardy entered the season focused on improving the team’s defense, which ranked last in the NBA for the past two years.

Without Kessler—one of the league’s top shot blockers—the Jazz must rely on aging veterans Jusuf Nurkic and Kevin Love. Neither player possesses the mobility to protect the rim or replicate Kessler’s defensive versatility on the perimeter.

If Hardy wants to maintain the current defensive scheme, the Jazz will need to add a player who better matches Kessler’s style.

LeBron dishes a dime to Mo Bamba for the flush 😤

Lakers lead on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/RfTujwoshM

— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2023

Mo Bamba, who played for the Jazz during the preseason and now suits up for their G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, offers a more athletic profile than Nurkic or Love. However, Bamba has struggled to secure a consistent role throughout his NBA career. He’s prone to foul trouble and prefers to operate around the three-point line rather than attacking the rim.

Complicating matters, Bamba isn’t under an NBA contract. To sign him, the Jazz would need to free up a roster spot.

They could trade seldom-used veterans like Kyle Anderson or Georges Niang to make room, or buy out Love’s contract. But making such a move just to sign a journeyman like Bamba might be too aggressive.

Are Internal Options Viable?

Nurkic and Love can technically cover the 48 minutes at center each night, though neither can replicate Kessler’s impact.

Still, the Jazz don’t need to keep a traditional center on the floor at all times.

Given the defensive struggles with Nurkic and Love, Hardy could experiment with other roster options at the five. Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Filipowski, and Taylor Hendricks all have the size to play limited minutes at center, allowing the Jazz to space the floor with five shooters.

Another big scoring night for Filipowski, who is up to 24 points on 7/13 from the field (4/7 from three) pic.twitter.com/Q83UDpqAL7

— Eric Spyropoulos (@EricSpyroNBA) July 15, 2025

Veteran Kyle Anderson could also fill in at center in small-ball lineups—a role he’s played in Miami, Golden State, and Memphis.

While none of these players can replace Kessler’s rim protection, they could help diversify the team’s offensive approach.

Could Zone Defense Help?

To compensate for Kessler’s absence, the Jazz might lean more heavily on zone defense.

Although zones still benefit from a strong shot blocker, dropping extra defenders into the paint can discourage opponents from attacking the rim.

 

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A post shared by Walker Kessler (@kidkessler)

With Nurkic and Love unable to anchor the defense, a zone could help the Jazz protect the interior while experimenting with Markkanen, Filipowski, Hendricks, or Anderson at center.

This strategy might hurt the team’s top-ten rebounding rate, but it could also reduce opponents’ scoring chances near the basket.

No Easy Fix

Kessler’s injury highlights two key realities.

First, having a center who averages a double-double, shoots over 70 percent from the field, and blocks more than two shots per game is a rare luxury. Kessler clearly represents a long-term building block for the Jazz.

Second, unless the front office pulls off a surprise trade involving young assets, the team must find creative ways to stay competitive without him.

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky. 

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