Utah Jazz 2024-25 Season Preview: Who is the future of the Jazz?

The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We present the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy predictions for all 30 teams. Enjoy!

UTAH JAZZ

End of year 2023–24

Off-season moves

• Enrichment: Cody Williams, Drew Eubanks, Svi Mykhailiuk, Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, Patty Mills

• Subtraction: Talen Horton-Tucker, Kira Lewis Jr., Omer Yurtseven, Chris Dunn, Luka Samanic, Kenny Lofton Jr., Darius Bazley

• Complete squad

The most important question: who is the future of jazz?

The Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert for a number of draft picks and young talent, signaling what should be their first full-fledged rebuild in memory. Only Lauri Markkanen emerged as an All-Star and he never hit rock bottom. They won 12 of the first 18 games of the 2022-2023 season, ultimately finishing 12th in the Western Conference, which is too good for franchise-changing lottery odds.

The same goes for last season, when they won 31 games behind a group of veterans (Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins), none of whom are franchisees, and their draft pick fell to 10th.

They have selected five players in the first round of the last two drafts – Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier – as well as Kyle Filipowski, who was the 32nd overall pick in June's draft and we are not sure if there were such players at all. one of them is a future star. George has shown he has the most potential, even though he shot less than 40% from the field last season. We'll see about this year's classes.

Albo my should see what's going on with this year's classes. The extension nature of Markkanen's new contract makes it impossible for the Jazz to trade him even if they wanted to, so he's part of the plan for this season. Sexton, Clarkson and Collins also remain. If we learn anything from third-year head coach Will Hardy, it's that he will lean on his veterans. It sounds strange, but he is too good a coach and the team will win more games than they should.

You see, Utah is trying to navigate two timelines, except neither of them is very good. Markkanen is 27 years old. His contract runs through the 2028-29 season, when he will earn $53.5 million at age 31. Do we think anyone in the squad will be able to develop enough to match Markkanen at his level? Does the Finnish star even want to stay long enough to find out? It feels like a never-ending pursuit of mediocrity.

Take Walker Kessler for example. The 6-footer was named to the All-Rookie first team in 2023, finishing as a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award. He was named to the Team USA squad for the 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup. So what did Jazz do? They moved their 22-year-old center to the bench, where he was less productive. Utah's defense was 3.8 points per 100 significant possessions better when Walker was on the court and 4.8 points per 100 non-garbage possessions worse when Collins was on the floor. for Cleaning the glass.

How many other Utah prospects will have their development stunted by veterans who may make the team a little better this season but may not even make the roster if and when the team is good?

And for what purpose?

The Jazz won't make the playoffs this season, not in such a crowded Western Conference. Their priority should be finding out who among their recent draft picks will be part of their future, and they can't find out without playing with them – and that often happens. One of the benefits of leaning towards a youth movement is that they could lose enough games to secure a top-five finish for the first time in over a decade.

Best case scenario

Markkanen is fully committed to Utah adopting the tank. Hardy plays anyone under 25 with strength, and several reward their coach with enough flashes of brilliance to make them believe in him. Markkanen is great, but not good enough to lead a group of unproven players to 30 wins. Jazz finds trade value for Clarkson, Collins and/or Sexton. They provide enough lottery combinations to put a future star at the top of the draft. Oh, and both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves are disappointing, delivering two more unprotected first-round picks to a group of young prospects who suddenly seem promising.

If everything falls apart

In July 2021, the Jazz traded their protected 2025 top-10 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder to terminate Derrick Favors' contract and avoid the luxury tax. Can you imagine them losing this pick this season? More of the same would be enough. Another hot start. Another false reason to believe they would make it to the play-in tournament, only to realize too late that they should have given up. And here we are again without an answer to the same question next season: who is the future of the Jazz?

Spin fantasy

Kessler is one of the best values ​​on a fantasy draft board. Whether he is traded or not, Kessler is projected to be a low-end double-double threat who will be one of the league leaders in blocks per game.

I like Sexton as a ninth-inning starter. When he joined the starting lineup last year, Sexton provided value in the seventh round. Everything points to him returning to that role, so fantasy managers are offering him a nice discount.

George avoided a serious knee injury and looks set to play in Utah's final preseason game. George is a solid option in point leagues and could outperform his ADP in category formats if he improves his efficiency and reduces his turnover rate. Hendricks is a late-round winger who offers defensive upside and three-pointers, but volume remains a question mark until veterans are replaced. —Dan Tytus

2024–25 schedule

Play children. Take under.