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Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler will undergo surgery on his left shoulder and miss the rest of the season. The procedure will repair a torn labrum first incurred at Auburn. Sent home from a road trip for evaluation, Kessler’s shoulder—bothering him since last month—now sidelines one of the league’s top rim protectors, further straining a defense already struggling for stops. The timing puts him in a precarious spot as he nears restricted free agency after brief extension talks with Utah. In his absence, Jusuf Nurkic starts, with Kyle Filipowski, Taylor Hendricks and Lauri Markkanen at center.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.