It’s a new era for the Utah Jazz.
After years of irrelevance and rebuilding, after a season spent tanking, the Jazz have an unproven but talented roster in place. So, now, expectations are elevating in kind.
The pillars are forwards Lauri Markkanen, who is now going into his fifth season with the franchise, and Jaren Jackson Jr., the mid-season trade acquisition from February. But with No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George, who was just awarded a massive, $157.5 million extension, the Jazz have a pair of dynamic guards to anchor the backcourt, too.
Here's a breakdown of the Utah Jazz's offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:
worth it?
Utah Jazz offseason review
- Record last season: 22-60 (15th in Western Conference)
- Playoff finish: Did not qualify
- Coach: Will Hardy (fifth season)
- 2026-27 title odds: +20000 (per BetMGM)
- Projected record : 44-38
- Offseason grade : A-
Key roster additions
- G Darryn Peterson (NBA draft)
- C Jaxson Hayes (free agent signing)
- G Josh Okogie (free agent signing)
- G Josh Green (trade)
Key roster losses
- C Walker Kessler (trade)
- F Cody Williams (trade)
Biggest question entering training camp
After years of rebuilding, can this Jazz team finally compete in the West?
- Across the last four seasons, the Jazz have won 107 of a possible 328 games (.326). Across the last two, they’ve won only 39 of 164 (.237). They’ve missed the postseason each of those four seasons, as the team was in a full rebuild after it traded away franchise cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Now, the roster has a solid balance of young players — Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey — and veterans — Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkić — in place to compete. There might be some growing pains along the way, but there’s so much raw talent on the roster now — especially among the top eight players in the rotation — that the time for excuses is gone. These Jazz need to take a jump.
Projected starting lineup and rotation
Starters
- G Keyonte George
- G Darryn Peterson
- F Ace Bailey
- F Lauri Markkanen
- C Jaren Jackson Jr.
Rotation players
- C Jusuf Nurkić
- G Isaiah Collier
- F Kyle Filipowski
- F Brice Sensabaugh
- C Jaxson Hayes
- G Josh Okogie
- G Josh Green
- C Mo Bamba
- G Trey Alexander
- F Svi Mykhailiuk
What to expect in 2026-27 season
A team that is much better than it has been the last four seasons. The Jazz are a young and talented team, and there are some questions that need to be answered, but they could fly under the radar and emerge as a playoff contender. As to the questions: does coach Will Hardy, who is normally patient and deliberate with rookies, break his rule and start No. 2 overall rookie Darryn Peterson right away? Does Hardy opt to start Jusuf Nurkić at center, instead of Jaren Jackson Jr., who has expressed a desire to play power forward? And, in a related question, what then happens to Ace Bailey, the 20-year-old No. 5 overall selection from the 2025 draft? These are good problems to have, and they signal a team that is on the rise.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Utah Jazz season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
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