Utah
Jazz Center Back on Knicks’ Trade Radar
The New York Knicks have been linked to Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler in trade rumors in the past, and with the offseason on the horizon, things may return to that state.
If the Knicks are looking for more help in the front court during the offseason, it may be wise to reach out to the Jazz regarding Kessler’s availability.
Fadeaway World writer Eddie Bitar suggests a trade that would send Kessler to the Big Apple for Miles McBride, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2031 second-round selection.
“The Knicks’ defense has been formidable this season, but adding a shot-blocking specialist like Walker Kessler could elevate it to elite status. Standing at 7 feet tall, Kessler has been a defensive anchor for the Utah Jazz, averaging 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game with an impressive 66.7% field goal percentage,” Bitar writes.
“His ability to protect the rim and control the boards would provide the Knicks with a reliable presence in the paint, complementing their perimeter defense. Offensively, Kessler’s efficiency is noteworthy, and his contract is very team-friendly ($4,878,938 next season with a $7,064,703 qualifying offer the season after).”
Adding Kessler to the Knicks would give them the ability to use more double-big lineups more often alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. He would also be an upgrade to Mitchell Robinson, who is a free agent in 2026.
Losing McBride is the one reason why the Knicks should be hesitant to make this deal. McBride has emerged into one of the team’s key role players, averaging 9.4 points per game for the team.
McBride is also on a very team-friendly deal until 2027, so the Knicks need to decide if this is the deal that would make it worth trading him. Better trades could come down the line, so that’s a decision the team will have to mull over.
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SALT LAKE CITY — A California man in Utah, as part of his duties with the National Guard, is accused of trying to solicit sex from a young teenager.
Joshua Ruben Rodriguez, 29, of Fresno, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with attempted rape of a child, a first-degree felony, and enticement of a minor, a second-degree felony.
The investigation began when an agent with the Utah State Bureau of Investigation posed as a 13-year-old girl on a “popular social media site … in an attempt to locate and apprehend adults attempting to have sexual contact with children,” according to charging documents.
On April 16, Rodriguez sent the agent a message — believing he was talking to a teen girl — that stated, “I’ll be direct with you, I would like to get to know you and (have sex with) your mind into a daze to where you feel like a woman,” according to charging documents.
When the “girl” asked if he had a problem with her age, Rodriguez replied, “I don’t have a problem with your age,” the charges state.
The agent told Rodriguez to meet at an apartment complex in Salt Lake County where the girl lived, claiming her mother would be gone. When Rodriguez arrived, he was taken into custody, the charges state.
“(Rodriguez) does not have ties to Utah. He is a resident of Fresno, California. (He) was in town as part of his military service with the California National Guard,” prosecutors stated in charging documents while requesting he be held without bail pending trial.
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — One person was hospitalized at the St. George Regional Hospital after a car rolled and caught fire just south of the Utah-Arizona border.
The Beaver Dam and Littlefield Fire Department in Arizona said its crews responded to the crash near the Black Rock Road exit – roughly two miles south of the state border – on Sunday night.
Upon arrival, crews put out the car fire and found the driver had left the scene. A single occupant, who was able to get out of the car on their own, was transported to the hospital by a Beaver Dam ambulance.
MORE | Crashes
Their condition has not been publicly released.
Details on what led to the crash and the condition of the driver were not immediately available.
The Beaver Dam and Littlefield Fire Department said law enforcement investigated the scene.
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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz missed out on the NBA Playoffs, but still scored a big win thanks to a coin flip.
In Monday’s tiebreaker coin flip to determine who had the fourth-worst record in the league last season, the Jazz came out winners over the Sacramento Kings, who had the same 22-60 record.
Had the Jazz lost the coin flip, they would have been fifth in NBA Draft Lottery odds. Only the worst four teams are guaranteed to remain within the top eight of the lottery.
If Utah had fallen to fifth, there would have been the chance they could have dropped out of the top 8 teams in the lottery, and owed the draft pick to Oklahoma City, which was top-8 protected in a previous trade.
The Jazz now have an 11.5 percent chance to win the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 10.
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