The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973. Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP after dropping 45 points in Game 5, and just like that, NYC is back on top of the basketball world.

Yet, even in a loss, all eyes remain on the San Antonio Spurs' 22-year-old generational superstar Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama led San Antonio to a 62-win season and Western Conference title in just his third year in the NBA. He became the NBA's first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year as a 7-foot-4 unicorn who can dribble, shoot, initiate the offense, and block every shot that comes his way, and he's only just getting started.

Because of that, everybody around the league has realized any future NBA champions are going to need somebody capable of stopping that.

On Wednesday, June 17, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports ranked the free agent market with that in mind, and his No. 5 overall pick was Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, who could hit the market as a restricted free agent.

"He missed most of last season due to injury, and he's a shaky free-throw shooter, but we're headed into the Victor Wembanyama era, and that's going to put a real premium on size and rim defense. Kessler provides both, along with elite offensive rebounding, an essential component to New York's championship, and a hint of 3-point shooting upside," Quinn wrote. "There are bigger names behind him on this list, but at just 24 years old, Kessler's market will be extensive."

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Kessler is one of the most valuable bigs in the NBA. In 2024-25, the 7-foot-2 center ranked second in the league in blocks (2.4 per game) and fifth in rebounds (12.2 per game), all while averaging 11.1 points in 30.0 minutes per game, and shooting 66.3% from the field.

Kessler's still developing a 3-point shot, shooting 54.5% from long range in his career, on just 2.1 attempts per game. But while he may not (yet) be able to stretch the floor like Wemby or other bigs around the league, he can rebound, defend the paint, and he's just 24 years old.

The issue is that he only played five games last season due to shoulder surgery, and he and the Jazz currently remain in a tense standoff.

Utah reportedly put a five-year, $140 million offer on the table, which would have been the largest contract ever given to a center that's never made an All-Star Game, and Kessler turned it down. His representatives apparently believe that he's worth more than that, and sources say he's now strongly considering his future in Utah as tensions grow.

Kessler's now presented with a few options. He can either sign an offer sheet a rival team submits, which Utah can match, he can push for a sign-and-trade, or accept the qualifying offer worth $14.6 million and become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.

The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers have both already shown strong interest in Kessler, and other teams like the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Golden State Warriors have also been linked to the 7-footer.

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