The Utah Jazz are getting close to opening night, and the big question now isn’t whether this roster looks better - it’s how Will Hardy sorts out all the pieces when the games start counting.
With a deeper group and more legitimate options across the board, Utah suddenly has real rotation calls to make. The starting five isn’t settled, the bench pecking order isn’t locked in, and a few players who might expect minutes could be staring at a DNP if the first game arrives with the rotation trimmed tight.
At point guard, Keyonte George looks like the clear front-runner. After a career-best third season in 2025-26, he also locked in his future with a new five-year extension earlier this offseason. That makes him the most natural choice to open the year as Utah’s lead guard and build on last season in what should be a major year four for him.
The one spot that could still shift is the two. Darryn Peterson has a real case to push for that job, especially if he pops in preseason. But based on Ace Bailey’s time in the program, his two-way upside, and the improvements he made this offseason, Bailey looks like the safer bet to start there on night one.
That gives Utah a starting group with size all over the floor. Lauri Markkanen projects as a 7-foot-1 small forward in this setup, and he should remain the team’s top scoring option. He also looks like Utah’s best shot at an All-Star nod.
Jaren Jackson gives the Jazz another huge piece in the frontcourt. There will be nights when he slides to center, even with the rebounding concerns, but the cleaner fit to begin games is at power forward. That’s where his defensive edge can matter most for a team that has dealt with three straight years of bleak results on that end.
At center, the move on from Walker Kessler means Jusuf Nurkic is the projected starter. He filled that role well enough last season when Kessler was out with injury, and while he doesn’t bring the same rim protection, he does bring passing, rebounding, and screening that help hold the offense together.
The first big call off the bench may come down to whether Peterson or Bailey starts. Whoever doesn’t open games could still end up with the biggest reserve role and even finish alongside the starters in closing lineups, while Nurkic shifts to the second unit. Right now, Peterson feels a little more likely to be that rookie sixth man.
Brice Sensabaugh is another player with a path to a meaningful role, but he’ll need to do more than just score in bunches to clear 20 minutes a night. He’s coming off the best season of his career in 2025-26 and is now in a contract year, which adds some intrigue to what his fourth season in Utah might become.
Still, the backcourt traffic could squeeze him. With George and Peterson both in the mix, Sensabaugh may not see the same minutes he had last season. Even so, his ability to handle the ball, create, and finish at the rim makes him a useful fit in a three-guard look, especially if the shooting and defense take another step.
Kyle Filipowski may be the most interesting name in the second half of the rotation. He’s listed here as the ninth man, but he looks like the best candidate to back up both the four and the five ahead of Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba. He rebounds, he defends, and he offers a little more on offense than either of those options.
The wing minutes behind the main group could be a matchup-by-matchup decision. Josh Okogie brings veteran experience, defense, and some floor-spacing upside.
Svi Mykhailiuk has been in Hardy’s system for multiple years and fits as an off-ball shooter, plus he started more than 30 games last season. Both should have a place in the mix.
There’s also still a path for Jaxson Hayes, Mo Bamba, or Josh Green to force their way into the picture during camp and preseason. But with only 240 minutes available, somebody is going to get squeezed.
If one of those names stands out before the opener, the rotation could look different by the time the season begins. For now, though, a DNP on opening night looks like the most realistic outcome for that group.
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Sensabaugh has flashed real scoring ability, but the steady production and team success that tend to raise a players value have not come easily yet. With the Jazzs roster changing and his place in the rotation still taking shape, this year feels like a prove-it stretch for a young player whose next contract could be shaped as much by fit and consistency as by pure talent. [Read more 🡒]