The Utah Jazz are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks a lot more dangerous than the one that stumbled to 22 wins a year ago. This group has more talent, more balance, and a much better chance of making noise in the Western Conference instead of spending the year chasing lottery odds.
There are a few early signs that point to real progress on the defensive end. Utah has been stuck near the bottom of the league for three straight seasons, finishing in the bottom two in defensive rating each time. That kind of slide leaves plenty of room for improvement, and even a jump to 20th in the league would count as a meaningful step forward.
That path is there. Jaren Jackson is expected to be on the floor for more than three games, and the Jazz added veteran perimeter defenders in Josh Okogie and Josh Green.
At the same time, younger pieces like Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Darryn Peterson should keep developing on that end as the season goes along. If that all comes together, Utah’s defense could finally start moving in the right direction.
Lauri Markkanen is another reason to think the Jazz can climb. The last time he earned an All-Star nod, he also finished as the NBA’s Most Improved Player after the 2022-23 season. A repeat of that award is unlikely, but another trip to the All-Star game is very much on the table.
That’s because Markkanen was rolling before injuries interrupted last season. In 42 games, he averaged over 26 points per game while shooting 47.7-35.5-89.6 and adding around seven rebounds and two assists per night. He remains the team’s primary scoring option, and if Utah wins more often this season, it will be hard to ignore him when All-Star selections come around.
Darryn Peterson could also force his way into the conversation for Rookie of the Year. This draft class looks loaded at the top, with the top four picks - AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, and Peterson - giving the race real weight. Peterson may have the most interesting path of the group because of the situation around him.
He has the talent to step in as a nightly 20-point scorer and contribute on both ends. If he gets off to a fast start and earns a starting role before December, he could become a serious threat for the award even with other scoring options on the roster.
And then there’s the bigger picture: the Jazz have been trying to get back to the postseason since moving Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in 2022. Four years later, this roster might finally be the one that gets them there.
On paper, it’s the strongest collection Utah has had since the reset began. The team has size, youth, and plenty of offensive upside.
If the defense is even somewhat better, a top-eight finish in the West looks realistic. A top-six seed may still be a stretch, but a play-in berth - and a win to secure one of the final two spots - feels like the cleanest early projection for where this season could land.
In Other News...
Jazz Move Just Put Extra Pressure On One New Addition
John Konchars path since leaving Utah has already turned into a tour of the league. The Jazz sent him to Minnesota in the deal that brought in Josh Green, and the Timberwolves quickly waived him before he landed with the Knicks, giving a small but telling twist to a move that also moved Cody Williams out of Salt Lake City. For Utah, the trade was about adding a wing in Green who could fit into the next stage of the roster build, while also reshaping the back end of the rotation.
Green arrives with plenty of NBA mileage for a player still trying to settle into a new home, having been traded multiple times in recent years and coming from the Dallas group that reached the 2024 NBA Finals. That kind of rsum can cut both ways in Utah, where the Jazz need the new addition to bring stability rather than another layer of uncertainty. With Konchar already on to New York and Williams gone as well, the pressure now sits squarely on Green to justify why this was the right kind of roster shuffle for a team still trying to find its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Keyonte George Has One Weakness Utah Can't Ignore Anymore
Keyonte George is heading into a season where his future with the Jazz is tied closely to more than just his shot-making. Utah did not extend him this summer, in part because of the complications that come with max extensions for young players, and now he is lined up to become a restricted free agent next summer. The Jazz have spent recent roster moves trying to add more defense around him, a clear sign they know where the pressure points are.
Keyontes offense has always made him a player worth building around, but the defensive side has become hard for Utah to ignore. Metrics tracking defensive true shooting value added over the past three years have flagged that end of the floor as a significant weakness, and how he responds there figures to shape both the Jazzs success and the contract conversation waiting at the end of this season. For Utah, the question is no longer whether the talent is real. It is whether the improvement on defense arrives fast enough to change the way the organization values him. [Read more 🡒]