The Utah Jazz still have one open seat on the roster, and the final month before the regular season could bring a familiar face back through the door.
Utah has spent the last several years reshaping the team, and this season could be the one where that work starts to show. The Jazz are young, deep and talented, and they’re being viewed as one of the more intriguing dark horses in the West.
But the roster isn’t quite finished yet. With 14 players currently on traditional contracts, there’s still room for one more addition to get the group to 15.
That has opened the door to a few reunion possibilities.
Kevin Love is the name many have already tied to Utah as the most obvious late addition. He was in the building last season, was well liked in the locker room and made it clear he wanted to return to Utah this summer if the front office had interest.
Even so, there hasn’t been much buzz linking him to a deal before training camp. That doesn’t rule it out, but it may also suggest the Jazz are considering using that spot on someone else, especially if Love wouldn’t be in line for a heavy workload.
Kelly Olynyk fits a similar mold. He hasn’t been with the Jazz since the 2024 trade deadline, when Utah sent him to the Toronto Raptors in the deal that brought back the first-round pick later used on Isaiah Collier.
During his time with the Jazz, Olynyk was the kind of player coaches trusted. He gave Utah 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists across more than 100 games, and he started as many as 76 of them.
He’s heading into his age-35 season now, so he may not be the nightly rotation piece he once was, but as a veteran minimum option for the final roster spot, he at least belongs on the list.
Then there’s Ochai Agbaji, the other part of that same 2024 deadline deal with Toronto. Of the three, he may make the most sense as a developmental depth piece, depending on how Utah still views him after time away.
The Jazz drafted him with the hope that he’d grow into a connective three-and-D wing, but that has not fully taken shape yet through four seasons. Last season, he split time with the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets and averaged a little more than five points and two rebounds per game.
If Utah wants another wing body with some familiarity, Agbaji is an option, though he looks like the least likely of the three to land the spot.
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Jazz May Be Betting Big On A Blueprint Fans Know Well
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There is a familiar template behind that bet, one Jazz observers will recognize from around the NBA: find a guard with enough craft, control and scoring touch to organize the whole operation, then build outward from there. George is not there yet, and the comparison to Jalen Brunson reflects upside more than accomplishment, but the logic is easy to follow for Utah. If the Jazz are right, this extension could be one of the first real markers of a roster constructed around a very specific kind of engine. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Smith Just Weighed In On The Jazz Draft Debate
With the second overall pick in hand, the Jazz entered the draft with plenty of eyes on them, and the chatter around the top of the board only grew once BYU star AJ Dybantsa went first overall to Washington. Utah's choice of Darryn Peterson was always going to invite comparison, especially in a market where every draft decision gets picked over immediately.
Ryan Smith has now added his voice to the conversation, and he made clear he believes the Jazz landed on the right player. For a team hoping Peterson can become a cornerstone as his NBA regular season approaches, that kind of public backing matters almost as much as the selection itself, even if the debate over who should have gone where is unlikely to fade anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Lauri Markkanen Now Faces The Pressure Utah Can't Escape
Lauri Markkanen enters the season with the kind of spotlight Utah has been trying to avoid, because the Jazz are still looking for a cleaner path back to the playoffs and their roster has already shifted around him. The acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. changes the shape of the frontcourt, while the loss of Walker Kessler removes a familiar anchor, leaving Markkanen as the most natural player to carry the offense when the games tighten up.
Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson add more intrigue to the picture, but the Jazz still need Markkanen to be more than a steady scorer. He will have to raise his efficiency and deliver in the biggest moments if Utah is going to turn a promising-looking roster into one that actually survives the Western Conference grind. [Read more 🡒]