The Utah Jazz are closing in on a 2026-27 season that looks a lot different from the last four years, and the reasons for that optimism are sitting right there in the roster. This is shaping up to be Utah’s strongest group since the rebuild began in 2022, and maybe the first one with a real chance to carry the Jazz back to the postseason for the first time in four years.
The biggest takeaway is simple: this team finally has a starting five that looks built to function together. Utah only got one game last season with its projected 2026-27 group at full strength, and that came in Jaren Jackson’s debut against the Orlando Magic.
In that game, Keyonte George went down with an ankle injury in the first half and was shut down for the rest of the season. Since then, the Jazz haven’t had that full lineup available in a regular-season game.
With opening night getting closer, here’s the group that looks most likely to start:
Keyonte George should be the point guard after a career-best 2025-26 season. He’s entering his fourth year pro and the final year of his rookie deal, and with no extension in place, there’s a lot riding on what he does next.
At shooting guard, Ace Bailey looks like the safer projection, even if Darryn Peterson has a strong case to push for the job. Utah hasn’t opened a season with a rookie in the starting five since Will Hardy arrived in 2022, and Peterson may actually benefit from beginning the year in a bench role.
Lauri Markkanen is set at small forward after reminding everyone last season that he can still be the Jazz’s top scorer and top player. In 42 games, he posted a career-high 26.7 points per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. If his health holds, another big season is in play.
Jaren Jackson Jr. looks like the likely starter at power forward. He played only three games for Utah after arriving at the trade deadline from the Memphis Grizzlies, but he’s now recovered from mid-season knee surgery and has had a full offseason with the team. Utah should use him at the four and pair him with a more traditional center.
That center spot appears to belong to Jusuf Nurkic, at least for now. With Walker Kessler out for most of last season because of shoulder surgery, Nurkic held things down and averaged 10-10-4 in 42 games. He’s back on a two-year deal, and with Kessler gone for good, he’s the clearest short-term answer in the middle.
The second unit has plenty of young talent, but Utah also brought in Josh Green, Josh Okogie, and Jaxson Hayes this offseason. Even so, those veterans may not all crack the nightly rotation. The Jazz are more likely to lean on nine or 10 players, and the back end of that group looks like this:
Darryn Peterson should be first off the bench, though it probably won’t take long before he forces his way into the starting five. A year-one reserve role would not be unusual for a highly regarded guard prospect, and Utah could follow the same path that worked for last year’s No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.
Isaiah Collier may see his minutes dip a bit from the 25 per game he’s played over the past two seasons, but he remains an important young ball-handler and playmaker. He fits into a three-guard mix with Peterson and George.
Kyle Filipowski now has a clearer lane for frontcourt minutes with Kessler out of the picture. He should play at both power forward and center, and if his third-year development keeps moving, he could even pick up a few starts at center during the season.
Brice Sensabaugh lands lower in the rotation than you might expect after averaging around 15 points per game last season as a productive bench scorer. But Utah’s wing group is crowded, and that makes his minutes harder to secure.
The final rotation spot looks like it could go to Josh Green, Svi Mykhailiuk, or Josh Okogie, depending on the matchup. Mykhailiuk brings the most offensive upside and connective play on that end, while Green and Okogie offer perimeter defense.
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