John Collins (right) joins a Jazz frontcourt that already features All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen.
One year removed from the big purge that saw the Jazz trade its two All-Stars, the franchise continues the search for replacements and an identity. This could result in a second straight season without a playoff berth because there is generally pain involved in this process.
The fun part is watching the team and its young coach, Will Hardy, grow into a squad that seemingly has a solid future.
What’s new?
- The Jazz added forward John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks and he could start right away. Remember, he averaged 21.6 points per game back in 2019-20.
- Utah used the ninth pick on Taylor Hendricks, a versatile forward, but there’s big enthusiasm for its second pick in the first round, guard Keyonte George.
- Jordan Clarkson decided to sign a three-year contract extension rather than test the free agent waters — a win-win for player and team.
How far can the Jazz go?
Fans in Utah are excited … about the bounty of future Draft picks the Jazz collected two summers ago for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. But there’s reason for optimism this season as well. With a few developing gems led by second-year center Walker Kessler, and a budding star in Lauri Markkanen, the AT&T Play-In Tournament seems reasonable.
1 player that must take a leap
Collin Sexton. He arrived in the Mitchell trade and initially backed up point guard Mike Conley. When Conley was shipped to Minnesota at the deadline, Sexton should have had a shot, but injuries essentially ended his season after the All-Star break. He’ll get competition from George, the rookie, and needs to demonstrate that he’s not just a shoot-first point guard.
In-Season Tournament
The Jazz are in West Group A. Here’s a refresher course on how the In-Season Tournament works.
Upcoming free agents
The Jazz have 10 players who will be free agents in 2024:
- Kelly Olynyk
- Talen Horton-Tucker
- Simone Fontecchio
- Kris Dunn
- Romeo Langford
- Luka Samanic
- Taevion Kinsey
- Johnny Juzang
- Micah Potter
- Joey Hauser
Horton-Tucker has actually played well for the Jazz since arriving from the Lakers and might get extended. Same for Olynyk. Utah does value cap flexibility, though. And this team could swing a trade for a big contract in another year.
Utah’s full roster can be found here.
New uniforms
𝟓𝟎 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥, ready for takeoff ✈️🎵
We're excited to watch Team 50 hit the floor while celebrating 50 years of Jazz basketball with the Classic Edition Uniform and Court.#Jazz50 presented by @delta
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) September 25, 2023
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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