The Jazz look deeper and more balanced than they have in a while, but one problem still hangs over the roster: the center spot is shaky, and Utah may choose to live with it for now.
That’s the tradeoff after an offseason that changed the shape of the team. Utah is trending toward being fully healthy, has Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt, added a couple of veteran pieces in free agency, and brought in No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson. On paper, that’s a much stronger rotation than the one Jazz fans have been used to in recent seasons.
Still, the middle of the floor is where the cracks show. Walker Kessler was moved to the LA Lakers, and once that happened, center instantly became the clearest weakness in the starting five.
Utah did make some follow-up moves. Jusuf Nurkic had already been signed to a two-year extension before free agency, then the Jazz added Jaxson Hayes on a two-year deal and Mo Bamba on the same terms to help fill out the frontcourt. If nothing changes before opening night, those are the names competing for minutes at center, along with Kyle Filipowski and, in some lineups, Jaren Jackson Jr.
For now, Nurkic looks like the favorite to start at the five, just as he did in several games last season. Put him next to Markkanen, Jackson Jr., and a backcourt featuring Keyonte George and either Darryn Peterson or Ace Bailey, and Utah can piece together a starting group that can hold up.
It’s workable. It’s just not built to be the long-term answer.
What the Jazz really need is a defensive-minded center who can rebound at a high level. Nurkic gives them the rebounding, but not nearly enough on the defensive end. And with him on a two-year deal and already in his early 30s, he doesn’t solve the bigger question.
Kessler did fit that role and lined up with Utah’s timeline, but the front office chose the draft-pick route instead, moving him before a pricey extension became part of the equation. In the long run, that may prove to be the smarter play. It also means the Jazz now have to find another center they trust to start on a playoff-caliber team - and eventually, on a team with championship aspirations in the Western Conference.
That doesn’t mean they have to rush. Utah just won 22 games last season, and this is the first year the franchise is clearly trying to push toward the playoffs.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is entering his first season with the team, and so is Darryn Peterson. There’s already plenty of adjustment baked into this roster, and making a major move at center would only add another layer of change.
The money side matters too. Going after a higher-priced starting center would complicate things with Keyonte George, who is set to be a restricted free agent next offseason if he doesn’t sign an extension. Until that situation is settled, a major investment in the middle feels unlikely.
So Utah can afford to be patient. The Jazz can mix and match at center through the first half of the season and lean on Nurkic as the starter, banking on his fit with the group, his experience in the role last year, and the offense he can help create with his screening and playmaking.
Unless something unexpected happens before the season starts, that’s the bet: Nurkic as the opening-night center, holding down a stronger Jazz lineup while the front office keeps looking for the right long-term answer.
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