The Golden State Warriors have only made marginal additions to their roster this summer, failing to acquire an established co-star for Steph Curry.
While the Warriors have made some solid moves, and could compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, they are far from championship contention. As they await the right opportunity to deal for a high-level second option next to Curry, the Warriors could stand to improve their center rotation.
Trayce Jackson-Davis started 16 games at center for the Warriors last season, appearing in 68 total as a rookie. The emergence of Jackson-Davis significantly reduced Kevon Looney's role, which led to his consecutive games played streak ending.
The Warriors guaranteed Looney's $8M contract for next season, but if the team trades him or does not plan to feature him much in the rotation, another center will likely be needed.
In a recent article, Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus reported that Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has been involved in different trade discussions.
"Per multiple sources, Utah has discussed Kessler previously in trade, including a stalled conversation with the New York Knicks," Pincus wrote. "He doesn't seem part of the team's long-term plan..."
A previous Bleacher Report article proposed a hypothetical Kessler to Golden State trade, and that looks more relevant in light of this recent report.
Warriors receive: Walker Kessler
Jazz receive: Moses Moody and a 2026 first-round pick (top-seven-protected)
Kessler is an elite defensive center who could really help a Warriors team that ranked 15th in defense last season and 20th in field goal percentage allowed within six feet.
Among all players who defended at least 400 shots within six feet of the basket last season, Kessler ranked third in defensive field goal percentage (51.0). Only Rudy Gobert and Kristaps Porzingis ranked higher than Kessler last season in this category ( per the NBA's data).
