On Thursday, any optimism from the Jazz's improved 3-4 start ground to a halt.
Utah center Walker Kessler will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from veteran NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Kessler, 24, has not played since Oct. 31, when he scored four points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a 118–96 loss to the Suns. He is averaging 14.4 points per game through five games this year, a career best.
For the second straight year, Kessler was tracking to finish in the top 10 in the league in rebounds per game. He averaged 12.2 boards in 2025 to finish fifth, and ranks eighth in 2026 with 10.8
Drafted 22nd by the Grizzlies in 2022 after an All-SEC season at Auburn, Kessler quickly made an impact even as the Jazz's fortunes began to wane. He finished third in the voting for Rookie of the Year in '22 and made the All-Rookie team.
Utah currently sits at ninth in the Western Conference, a game behind the eighth-place Trail Blazers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jazz's Walker Kessler to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery.