“HARK! Lo, over the horizon! Can you see it, Papa? Can you see it?“
The relic of a man lifts his heavy eyelids in response to his son’s pleadings. Days have weathered this old-timer, with his skin cracked
and wrinkled; he groans as he wipes the sleep from his face. The surface of his face shifts and slides, eroding with every movement. Hands clasping either arm of his carved rocking chair, his extremities tremor violently under the stress of his own weight, Papa harnesses his strength and hoists himself from the oaken den of his brief hibernation.
“What is it, boy?” he breathed. “Mine eyes aren’t quite as keen as yours. Tell me, what is it you see?”
“Nay, if I speak it, I fear it shall disappear just as it arrived,” the boy pleaded.
The old man chuckled, his bones shuffling and rattling with every exhale. “Oh? Surely this must be a joyous sight! Fear not, my son, for it is surely safe to speak.”
“In line with the setting sun, and approaching at a leisurely pace, appears to be… well, a 2012 Honda Odyssey.”
The old man paused; confusion shifting the geography of his countenance. “A Honda Odyssey? Steady, safe, reliable, of course. Boy, what of this vehicle has struck you as noteworthy?”
“You see,” the child chattered, hardly restraining his own excitement like a dog staring down an open plate of cupcakes. “It’s heading straight toward the Delta Center.”
“A minivan driving to the Delta Center?” In a moment, realization rekindled the light of youth behind the old man’s eyes. “Georges Niang! The prodigal son has returned!”
Taking a look at this year’s edition of the Utah Jazz, it’s hard to shake the feeling of complete confusion. Every revisit, every second look, and every moment of reflection draws me to the same conclusion: this year’s team is capital-W Weird.
Another season where the true battle isn’t for scored baskets and a playoff berth, but rather a spiteful and aggressive scavenger hunt for ping pong balls. In simple terms, this year is not about winning; it’s about boosting lottery odds. Just like last season, and the season before that, and the season before that.
What fun!
But the Jazz were offseason busy-bodies once again this Summer, and have shifted around the roster like they’re doing the truffle shuffle. Players from all across the NBA have migrated to the Salt Lake Valley on corporate-mandated relocations, and the fusing of these individuals has created something… borderline unholy.
Please join me as we take a little tour through the catacombs of the Delta Center. The goofballs and the oddballs and the basketballs littering the locker room will, in fact, take an entire article to sift through, so get comfortable. We’ll break them down into categories and try to make some sense of the heinous conglomeration we’ve had the fortune to come across for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
The Bright-Future Jazz
Names: Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton Jr, Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski, Lauri Markkanen
As of this very moment, the “bright future Jazz” isn’t exactly a team of world-beaters. These are the proven contributors, and two very promising rookies who seem like more of a sure bet than Utah’s recent draft hauls. As far as these players’ futures with the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen’s name won’t stay out of trade rumors — whether those claims are substantiated or not — Walker Kessler is an excellent, though limited, young center, and Kyle Filipowski has proven capable of reliable NBA-level contribution in his year with the team.
Is this a core worth building around? I’d argue no, unless Ace Bailey quickly blossoms into an All-NBA wing by his third season (every digit is crossed while typing this), and Walt Clayton seamlessly translates his college production to the NBA level.
Truthfully, this is a core of players who indicate that Utah has something, anything, tangible on their roster to point toward and say: “Look! Look! The rebuild is working!” Let’s be real, though, only two of these players have really proved worthy of being long-term pieces moving forward.
The Perpetual Potential
Names: Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh
These are the young players selected with the potential to have potential, if you follow. These are the guys who were selected with the idea that they were just a few years away from becoming effective contributors in the league. Well, one or two years later, and these guys hang around with the idea that the same potential is buried somewhere in there, and we just have to hold out hope it will actualize. We may as well call this the “Dante Exum” group (shoutout to Dante’s career revival in Dallas. Love you, bro).
Keyonte’s inefficiency with Baylor has been mirrored during his time in Utah. Hendricks’ injury struggles have kept him off the floor and delayed his development. Cody Williams has been great in the Summer League. Isaiah Collier was drafted as a point guard who fell down the draft order because he couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean at 33% or higher — this remains true a year later. Brice Sensabaugh, who had a sneaky good season as a sophomore, is constantly buried in the rotation and struggles to keep pace on defense.
Will any of these players be with the Jazz long-term? Will you see any of these players hoisting the NBA Finals trophy with “Utah” on their chest? Flip a coin — it’s either too early to know or the current version you see is the version you’ll get.
The Weirdos
Names: Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Svi Mykhailiuk, Jusuf Nurkic
The Jazz got Kevin Love! …Just about 5 years too late. These are the players whose names you’ll see endlessly mentioned online as Jazz fans complain that their minutes are eating into Ace Bailey’s development. I constantly have to remind myself that these veterans will be suiting up for the Jazz in 2025. Slow-mo Kyle Anderson, Jazz legend Georges Niang, the illegible Svi Mykhailiuk, and even Jusuf Nurkic will all be all-time replica jersey purchases in a few years, so get ‘em while they’re hot.
Will these players lead on the floor or be more of a steadying presence in the locker room? It probably depends on the player, but expect to see each of these guys take the floor far too frequently for comfort in tight games.
G-Leaguers
Names: Oscar Tshiebwe, Elijah Harkless, John Tonje
I do love me some Oscar Tshiebwe rebounding highlights, and John Tonje is a more intriguing prospect than most people let on, but let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute and admit that these players are absolutely replaceable, and that’s why they’re on two-way deals. Don’t get too attached.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the Utah Jazz and BYU athletics since 2024.
