The Utah Jazz have game three of their 2026-27 season on the horizon for this weekend against the Los Angeles Lakers on their home floor of the Delta Center–– and they'll be up against a pretty familiar face in the process.
That'll be none other than former Jazz center Walker Kessler, who's set to officially return back to Utah for the first time following his sign-and-trade to the Lakers earlier this offseason.
And it'll certainly be a game with a lot of emotions. Kessler, who had spent the first four years of his career in Utah, will be playing in front of those same fans for the first time wearing Lakers purple and gold.
How the Jazz fans may respond to Kessler in his first game back in Salt Lake City remains to be seen, simply given the drama that surrounded his fallout departing from Utah earlier this summer. Yet, when it comes to Kessler's own feelings about coming back to the place he was drafted, he sure seems ready to compete against his former teammates.
What Walker Kessler Said Ahead of His Return to Utah
Kessler spoke about his upcoming return for Utah following the Lakers' latest win over the LA Clippers on Friday, where he had a good bit of praise to hand out for both Utah's players, as well as head coach Will Hardy––both of whom he's eager to match up against on the other side of things.
"I'm so excited to compete against those guys," Kessler said of the Jazz. "Coach [Will] Hardy does a great job with that franchise, and all my past teammates, they're great players. Really talented, really competitive."
"So, I think it's going to be a very competitive game. But, I'm just excited to go compete.”
— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) October 24, 2026Lakers center Walker Kessler says that he is “excited to compete” against the Utah Jazz on Sunday in his return to his old franchise:
“Coach (Will) Hardy does a great job with that franchise, and all my past teammates, they're great players. Really talented, really competitive.” pic.twitter.com/AJSEuyXuTu
Kessler's start to the season in Los Angeles has been nothing short of strong. So far this year through two games, he's averaging 24.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 4.0 blocks in a little over 32 minutes a night.
As a high-end interior defender, as well as a lob threat and frontcourt complement to star guard Luka Doncic, he's been everything that the Lakers have asked for when they invested the draft capital they did for him in their sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz.
But in a game against the Jazz, facing a team that knows all about his tendencies and playstyle, the road to having another explosive matchup for Kessler could be a little tougher compared to his first two showings of the year.
Knowing the recent history between these two, though, you can anticipate Kessler to have full intentions on bringing his A-game for a bit of a statement performance against his former team, while trying to lift the Lakers to their third-straight win in the process.
Expect to see both sides turning up the heat for what should be a highly competitive matchup on Sunday, and a game for the Jazz that could end up being a nice momentum builder in the event of a win that would make for back-to-back victories.
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