The Jazz are moving toward a different kind of season.
According to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News, Utah should at least be in the play-in mix by the 2026-27 campaign. That doesn’t mean the roster is finished, though. There are still plenty of moving parts, and the biggest question is how fast they start clicking.
Jaren Jackson Jr. only got two games in a Jazz uniform after arriving in February, while No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson is just getting ready to launch his first NBA season. Those two pieces alone make the timeline hard to pin down, and the way they fit with the rest of the roster will shape a lot of what comes next.
Todd also pointed out that Utah spent stretches of its rebuild practically trying to lose games. With the talent now in place, another season near the bottom of the standings would be tough to imagine.
One thing Todd expects: Keyonte George opening the season as Utah’s primary ballhandler. Even so, coach Will Hardy has usually leaned toward an offense where several players can initiate, so that role may still come with some flexibility.
And then there’s the bigger roster question hanging over all of it: whether the Jazz eventually use some of their assets to chase another proven star.
In Miami, Davion Mitchell spent the summer attacking a different problem.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported that Mitchell lost weight through an intensive offseason workout program after not being satisfied with his defense last season. Part of that work included a trip to Greece, where he got on the floor with new Heat teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Mitchell said the experience helped him start learning how to fit next to the two-time MVP.
“He’s a winner. He just wants to win,” Mitchell said. “For me, I was just trying to learn the places I need to be on the court, what makes him more comfortable.”
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel went a step further, suggesting Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo already deserve a spot in the discussion for the NBA’s best power combination. That’s exactly the kind of impact Miami had in mind when it made the blockbuster deal for Giannis.
Out in Los Angeles, the Clippers are giving Yuki Kawamura another shot.
Tony East of Forbes reported that the team signed the 5-foot-7 point guard to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract. Kawamura, 25, played 18 games for the Bulls last season and averaged 3.4 points and 2.6 assists in 11.6 minutes per game.
He was much more dangerous in the G League, where he put up 18.7 points, 11.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds across 11 games for the Windy City Bulls.
Kawamura will also walk into camp with a familiar connection waiting for him. He’ll reunite in Los Angeles with Japanese national team teammate Rui Hachimura.
The Exhibit 10 deal gives Kawamura a non-guaranteed path to stay in the mix, with a chance to be converted into a two-way contract. It can also set him up for a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Clippers’ G League affiliate.
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Chicago is the club most likely to spark debate here, because the proposal sends Bennedict Mathurin to the Bulls as the scoring wing centerpiece of the move. The Nuggets would land Kris Dunn and a future first-round pick, giving the framework enough moving parts to look plausible on paper, even if nothing is actually in motion and the whole idea remains firmly in the speculative category. [Read more 🡒]