The Utah Jazz are heading into their 2026-27 season opener with a frontcourt already trimmed down, and Wednesday night’s injury report makes the issue impossible to miss.
Utah will be without three players when it opens the year against the Memphis Grizzlies, with the biggest blows coming in the middle. Starting center Jusuf Nurkic remains sidelined with a foot injury and has been out since the Jazz’s second preseason game.
The initial return window of four weeks points to a middle-of-November comeback. Tony Bradley, the Jazz’s newly signed big man, is also on the report with a quad injury.
That leaves Utah thin where Memphis can lean on size, with Cameron Boozer and Zach Edey part of the matchup puzzle. Trey Alexander, Utah’s two-way guard, is the other Jazz player ruled out as he works through a minor knee injury.
With Nurkic unavailable, Jaxson Hayes is expected to take the starting center spot. Kyle Filipowski looks like the likeliest option to back him up at the five, and Utah could also use a few minutes of Jaren Jackson Jr. sliding down to center.
The result is a Jazz rotation that has to answer an immediate frontcourt test on opening night. Whether that proves enough against Memphis and its size remains to be seen.
The Grizzlies, by comparison, enter the game in better shape. Their injury report lists only veteran big man Isaiah Stewart. If Stewart can’t go, Memphis still has depth options available, including Quinten Post, Jerami Grant, and former Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MT at FedEx Forum as Utah starts its season looking to get to 1-0.
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Jazz Take Opening Night Flier On Former First Round Guard
The Jazz have used their newly opened two-way slot on a familiar kind of low-risk swing, bringing in guard Kobe Bufkin as the team continues to sort out the bottom of its roster. In a corresponding move, Utah waived two-way forward Blake Hinson, making room for Bufkin after a winding start to his NBA journey that has already taken him through Atlanta, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and New Orleans.
Bufkin arrives in Utah with the profile of a former first-round guard still trying to carve out a steady role, which makes him an interesting fit for a team willing to take a long look at younger talent. For the Jazz, the move keeps the two-way spot in play for development purposes, and it adds another backcourt name to watch as the organization keeps building out its depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Roster Move Creates A Tough New Bubble Decision
The Jazz are making another small but meaningful shuffle to their back end, with Kobe Bufkin agreeing to a two-way contract after being waived by the Pelicans. For Utah, it is the kind of roster move that can look minor on paper but matters plenty in the long view, especially when the team is sorting out which young players deserve developmental runway and which spots have to be used to keep flexibility intact.
To make room, Utah is expected to waive forward Blake Hinson, leaving his future tied to whether he clears waivers and lands on the open market. Bufkin arrives with one season on his deal, his final year of two-way eligibility, which gives the Jazz a chance to take a look at another young guard while also forcing a familiar roster-choice squeeze at the bottom of the bench. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Suddenly Look Smart For Avoiding A Risky Kristaps Porzingis Move
Kristaps Porzingis has long been the kind of talent teams talk themselves into because the upside is obvious and the price can feel reasonable in the moment. Utah was among the clubs with interest in him before he landed with Boston, where he helped win a title, and the kind of frontcourt gamble he represented has never been more complicated in hindsight.
Now, with questions surrounding his long-term health and what his future even looks like on a basketball court, that missed opportunity looks a lot less like a swing and more like a case of restraint. If he keeps playing, the next version of Porzingis may be something closer to a selective, part-time fit than a full-time centerpiece, which would put teams like Utah back in the conversation for a very different kind of pursuit. [Read more 🡒]