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Among the players the Utah Jazz interviewed at the NBA combine in Chicago were centers Zach Eady (Purdue) and Donovan Clingan (UW). When I reported on Wednesday that the Jazz interviewed Eady and Clingan, some fans wondered what that meant for young prospect Walker Kessler, who is already on the Jazz roster.
Could this mean the Jazz might be open to moving on from Kessler, or perhaps interviews with the two prospects reveal how the Jazz feel about Kessler’s future? Some thought it might be saying something about. But in reality, it’s not that serious or evil. Even after Kessler’s standout rookie season, the Jazz interviewed center Derek Lively at the 2023 combine as the Jazz sought to better understand some of the best talent among their draft candidates. There was no meaning beyond that.
The Jazz are invested in Kessler’s future and that hasn’t changed. They’re also invested in trying to give themselves the best chance of fielding a balanced roster over the next few years when they really start competing. You can’t do that with a single center on the roster.
We don’t know what the Jazz roster will look like over the next few years, through trades, growth, decline, improvement, injuries, etc. The Jazz aren’t counting on Omer Yurtseven as a backup center for the next few years, so they owe it to them to do their due diligence across all positions.
The Jazz are also interviewing point guards and forwards, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost hope in Keyonte George or Lauri Markkanen.
Another thing that has been pointed out is the apparent lack of solid wing players on the Jazz’s current roster. The Jazz are certainly considering a number of wing players in this draft, with team sources telling the Deseret News that there are a number of high-level wing players in the 2025 draft that the Jazz are keeping a close eye on. he said.
The bottom line is that just because the Jazz interviewed a few centers at the combine doesn’t mean they’ve given up on Kessler or anyone else.
newness of jazz
How to spend your off-season
My 13 year old Golden Retriever, Khaleesi, was diagnosed with cancer a little over a year ago. She was expected to only live happily for a few months, but she lasted much longer than that without any pain. Sadly, a few weeks ago it was clear it was time to say goodbye to her. It was incredibly difficult to make that decision for her, but I didn’t want her to suffer, so I decided to peacefully euthanize her rather than wait for her situation to get really ugly. It was better.
She was truly my best friend and I will miss her very much. I’m not writing this to make anyone sad or pity you. We would like to remind everyone to be a little more careful with their pets. Give them more cuddles, treats, and spend time playing together.
The bond you have with your pet is so unique and special that I don’t think anyone would lose a pet and think, “I was happy with the time I spent with them and gave them the right number of hugs and kisses.” We always wish we had more time to rub their bellies more or scratch them behind their ears one more time. Therefore, this will only remind you to love your pet more passionately.
From the archive
additional points
- If Jackson Robinson withdraws from the NBA Draft, insiders think he will land (Deseret News)
- Jazz scoring: John Collins needed time to adjust to new situation (Deseret News)
- Calculate the size of the Jazz’s 2023 first-round pick. Here’s what we learned (Deseret News)
- Mock drafts are divided on who the Jazz could take with the 10th pick (KSL.com)
around the league
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