Jazz's Walker Kessler Reportedly Will Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on Shoulder Injury

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler needs season-ending surgery on his shoulder, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

The Jazz, who are on a five-game road trip, announced Sunday that Kessler was traveling back to Salt Lake City to have testing on his left shoulder.

The 24-year-old concludes his 2025-26 campaign having averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. He was also shooting 70.3 percent from the floor.

The injury couldn't come at a worse time for Kessler as he's eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

It wasn't a large sample, but the 7-footer's performance pointed to how this season might've been his best yet. The 30.8 minutes per game he averaged were his most to date as well, so he occupied a big role in the frontcourt.

Kessler has been a steady subject of trade rumors thanks to his inside scoring and rim protection prowess. That's now off the board, too, if the Jazz wanted to reassess their roster closer to the Feb. 5 deadline.

A 3-4 start isn't enough to shift Utah's likely trajectory. The Jazz aren't outright tanking, but their roster doesn't look to be good enough to contend in a competitive Western Conference.

And now they're going from Kessler as the starting center to Jusuf Nurkić, who's a clear downgrade defensively and not much better on offense.

Kessler's season-ending shoulder injury is a tough blow for all parties.