The Utah Jazz don’t exactly have a roster full of easy trade chips heading into 2026-27. With 15 players already on traditional contracts after the draft and a few weeks of free agency, the group looks close to finished if opening night arrived tomorrow.
The problem is the money. Utah has 11 players earning less than $10 million next season, and most of the heft is concentrated in the top of the roster with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. That leaves the Jazz with limited flexibility if they want to swing a player-for-player deal between now and next offseason.
Still, there are a handful of contracts that could matter if Utah decides to make a smaller move. Here are the five most notable ones.
Jusuf Nurkic stands out first because his deal is the cleanest salary piece Utah can put into a trade. He’s one of only four Jazz players set to make more than $10 million next season, and the other three - Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson, and Darryn Peterson - are probably staying put.
Nurkic may not be going anywhere soon, either. He just re-upped with Utah on this contract before free agency began. But if the Jazz decide they want to upgrade at center around the trade deadline or next offseason, moving Nurkic would be one of the simplest ways to make that happen.
Cody Williams is the next contract worth watching. His rookie deal enters its third year at a little over $6 million, and Utah also holds a team option for next summer at $7.6 million.
The Jazz could decide to keep him around if he starts looking like a real two-way wing. But if he doesn’t carve out a steady role this season, Utah might prefer to deal him before the rookie contract runs out and collect value before restricted free agency. A deadline move would make sense if he’s not a consistent part of the rotation.
John Konchar is another easy fit in trade math. His salary is just above $6 million for 2026-27, and because it’s an expiring contract, he’s the kind of piece that can slide into a lot of minor deals.
If Utah needs about $6 million to balance a trade, Konchar is the obvious name to circle, especially if he ends up on the outside looking in for rotation minutes. Even so, he’s not the only player on the roster who could fill that role.
Josh Okogie belongs in that same bucket as a smaller contract that could be used in several minor trades. He doesn’t have the same expiring-contract appeal, but the team option in the second year of his deal gives another team some flexibility if he’s acquired.
That said, the Jazz only signed Okogie less than a month ago, so don’t expect him to be shopped right away. The deadline is a more realistic point for that conversation, and Utah could also use him as a defender off the bench. For now, he may simply be part of the plan.
Jaxson Hayes is in a similar spot. He joined Utah in free agency this summer on the same terms as Okogie: a two-year deal worth $6 million per season with a team option in year two.
That makes him another movable salary if the Jazz need one. With Kyle Filipowski and even Mo Bamba in the mix as backup center options, Hayes could become expendable by the deadline if he doesn’t lock down a role and Utah doesn’t plan to exercise his 2027 option.
In Other News...
Caleb Wilson Is Already Showing Bulls Fans Something Theyve Been Missing
Summer League was supposed to give fans a clean look at the top draft names going head-to-head, but the schedule has already been trimmed by teams choosing to rest their first-round picks. Caleb Wilson still got one of the marquee matchups against Cameron Boozer in a tight game, and the performances he has put together have done exactly what these showcase events are meant to do: make people pay attention.
Wilson was also left waiting for other high-end matchups that never materialized, and he made it clear he wanted the chance to keep competing rather than watch from the sideline. Even with the cancellations, the early returns have been strong enough to suggest Utah has a player who is eager for every opportunity, which only adds to the frustration of wondering how much more he could have shown with the full slate intact. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz May Finally Have A Real Answer At Center
The Jazz have been piecing together their center minutes since Walker Kesslers departure, leaning on a committee approach while sorting out what the position should look like going forward. That makes any possible upgrade worth watching, especially if it adds size and rebounding to a front line that could use a more defined answer in the middle.
Detroits contract situation with Jalen Duren is one of those developments Utah has to keep an eye on, even if nothing is close right now. A move would hinge on negotiations and timing, and the Jazz would have to navigate their own roster mechanics to make it work, but the broader appeal is obvious: a chance to add a young big who could complement what they already have instead of forcing them to keep patching the spot game by game. [Read more 🡒]