Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler will miss the rest of the season due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will have surgery, ESPN reported on Wednesday afternoon.
Kessler, 24, has not played since a 118-96 loss at Phoenix on Friday. He is averaging career highs of 14.4 points, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 30.8 minutes along with team highs of 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in five games (all starts).
He ranked eighth in the league through Tuesday in rebound average and seventh in blocks for Utah, which started the season 3-4.
Memphis selected Kessler with the 22nd overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Auburn. The Grizzlies traded him the next day to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who dealt him on July 6, 2022, to the Jazz as part of a package of players and picks for Rudy Gobert.
For his career, Kessler averages 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, 0.5 steals and 25.3 minutes in 201 games (125 starts).
