The Utah Jazz have mostly settled into place for 2026-27, and that makes this a good moment to step back and size up what the roster looks like. Utah has 15 roster spots filled, has handled all of its free-agent business - including Walker Kessler’s - and could head into next season exactly as currently constructed.
That gives the Jazz a pretty clear financial picture, too. A lot of the rotation is tied up in inexpensive short-term free-agent deals or standard four-year rookie contracts. But Utah also carries two huge commitments in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, whose combined deals reach close to $100 million in total value for this season alone.
The one area that still feels a little fluid is the starting five, especially at shooting guard and center. Still, if opening night were tomorrow, this is the lineup that looks like the best bet:
Keyonte George at point guard after a breakout season and with a big Year 4 ahead of him. There’s also a contract layer here, since he could be playing for his second deal if the Jazz don’t extend him this summer.
Ace Bailey at shooting guard for now, though Darryn Peterson could easily push his way into that role by opening night. Peterson is talented enough that a strong preseason could change the conversation, but Bailey gets the nod here because of his length and experience, with Peterson projected to begin as the sixth man.
Lauri Markkanen on the wing, where he enters his fifth season in a Jazz uniform as the roster’s longest-tenured player. There’s still a strong case that he remains Utah’s best player, and he’s coming off a big 2025-26 season in which he averaged over 25 points per game while healthy.
Jaren Jackson Jr. at power forward, even though some will argue he belongs at center. Utah can certainly use him there in certain frontcourt looks, but over the long haul he fits better at the four, with a strong rebounder next to him.
Jusuf Nurkic at center, filling a spot that was supposed to belong to Walker Kessler not long ago. Instead, Kessler is now with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Jazz will turn to Nurkic, a plus-rebounder who should complement Jackson Jr. well.
None of this is locked in yet. The depth chart still has room to shift, and even this projected starting five may not be the group Utah ultimately chooses, depending on how it feels about the Bailey-Peterson pairing and the center spot. But based on what’s known right now, this is the shape of the roster heading into October.
There’s also one small but important wrinkle: this projected starting five has played together only once. That came in Jaren Jackson Jr.’s debut against the Orlando Magic after his February trade, the same game in which Keyonte George left with a hamstring injury halfway through.
So the on-court fit is still more theory than proof. Even so, on paper this group has enough talent to make a run at the Western Conference Play-In. Add in the bench, the young pieces, and the possibility of Darryn Peterson emerging, and Utah’s ceiling looks high both now and in the years ahead.
In Other News...
Jazz May Have A Costly Walker Kessler Replacement To Consider
With Walker Kessler still central to Utahs long-term plans, the Jazz are at least exploring what a more established option at center could look like if they ever needed to pivot. Myles Turner is the obvious name in that conversation because his defensive reputation and ability to space the floor would fit cleanly into the kind of modern frontcourt the Jazz have been building toward.
The challenge is that Turner is not just a basketball fit, he is a financial one, and that makes any pursuit more complicated than a simple talent upgrade. His recent play has not always matched the value attached to him, and as Milwaukee leans further into a new direction, Utah would have to decide whether the price of chasing that kind of replacement is worth the flexibility it could take away elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Cost The Lakers More Than Jazz Fans Realized
Walker Kesslers move from Utah to Los Angeles was never just about changing jerseys. The Jazz sent him to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade that gave the deal real heft, and it quickly became clear the Lakers were betting on him as more than a rim protector. Even after season-ending shoulder surgery in November 2025, Los Angeles still views him as a defensive anchor who can also chip in on offense, with the organization and coach encouraging him to keep stretching his game.
For Utah, the part that still lingers is how much the Lakers were willing to commit to land him. The price reflected how highly they valued his upside, and it helps explain why this was one of those transactions that reached well beyond the player himself. Jazz fans may have seen the departure as another big-name move, but the broader cost to the Lakers suggests just how serious the pursuit was. [Read more 🡒]
Keyonte George Still Looms Over The Jazz's Biggest Offseason Decision
The Jazz have spent most of the offseason settling the rest of their business, from free agents to draft picks, and the roster is close to being set for the coming year. Even so, one of the most important decisions still hanging over the front office is tied to Keyonte George, the young guard who is entering his fourth season and remains central to the teams long-term picture.
Utah can either keep the door open and continue evaluating George before he reaches the market next summer, or act sooner and lock him in before his price rises further. It is a familiar kind of roster dilemma for a team trying to balance upside with flexibility, and in Georges case the choice will say plenty about how aggressively the Jazz want to commit to their current timeline. [Read more 🡒]