The Utah Jazz are only days from opening their 2026-27 season, and the preseason has already started to sketch out a rotation that looks very different from what fans are used to seeing in Utah.
One name that seems to be slipping toward the edge of that picture is Josh Green.
Green arrived in Utah late in the offseason in the deal that sent Cody Williams the other way, and on paper he brings useful traits. He’s the kind of wing who can defend, hit shots from deep, and give a coaching staff a steady option when needed. Last season with Charlotte, he appeared in 58 regular-season games, averaged a little over 15 minutes per night, and posted 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 42.0% from three.
But the Jazz have a crowded group fighting for the same lanes, and that’s where Green’s path gets complicated. Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Svi Mykhailiuk, and offseason pickup Josh Okogie are all in the mix for those wing and guard minutes, and each of them appears to have a stronger hold on a role right now. Utah has invested more in that group, those players have been in the system longer, and the case can be made that they bring more to the table than Green does.
The preseason usage has pointed in that direction. Through two games, Green has logged 20 total minutes and produced zero points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal.
That doesn’t necessarily close the door on him. Injuries will come, and when they do, Green has the look of a veteran plug-and-play wing who can step in and soak up minutes. But with the roster healthy, he doesn’t seem to be a major part of the Jazz’s plans right now.
And that raises one more question: if Utah had kept Cody Williams, would he have ended up in a similarly limited role anyway?
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