Preseason is supposed to be the part of the calendar where nothing means much. For the Jazz, though, these games have offered a pretty clear peek at who matters and who doesn’t - and Josh Green keeps landing on the wrong side of that line.
Utah has been happy to show flashes of what it could become, especially with Ace Bailey looking like a beast just itching to break out. In those first halves, the Jazz have also started to sort out their rotation in plain view. Green, meanwhile, has been the notable name missing from that picture.
His minutes have come and gone, and when he does get on the floor, it’s usually alongside the second unit. That doesn’t exactly scream trust. Maybe that changes later, but right now the message is hard to miss.
Green arrived late in the offseason in a deal that sent Cody Williams and John Konchar away. He’s not a bad player, and he’s got experience with good teams.
The issue is the crowd around him. Utah’s wing group is already packed with Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Brice Sensabaugh and Svi Mykhailiuk.
That group gives the Jazz both more continuity and, at least for now, a better fit. Markkanen is likely to start at the three, and the others already seem to have the edge. Green, in that sense, looks like a casualty of the roster more than anything he’s done wrong.
So where does that leave him?
For now, his biggest value may be his expiring contract, which gives Utah flexibility. The Jazz could waive him so he can chase another deal later, or they could use that contract to help address another part of the roster.
And there is a need to keep an eye on the frontcourt. Walker Kessler is no longer on the team, and Jusuf Nurkic is out with injury. If rebounding becomes a real issue, Green could suddenly become useful in a different way.
Still, it’s hard not to feel for him. He’s been bouncing around for the past year, and now he may be looking at another roster where the fit is shaky.
It’s also fair to say preseason can trick people into reading too much into every minute distribution. Even so, Green’s situation gets tougher when Josh Okogie also looks positioned ahead of him. Okogie, after all, chose the Jazz this offseason.
That’s how odd this feels: Green may end up as a luxury piece for Utah if wing depth gets tested. He probably deserves more than that. It just may not happen with the Jazz.
In Other News...
Jazz Roster Move Creates A Tough New Bubble Decision
The Jazz are making another small but meaningful shuffle at the back end of the roster, bringing in guard Kobe Bufkin on a two-way contract after he was waived by New Orleans. For Utah, it is the kind of move that can quietly reshape the developmental picture, especially with the team still sorting out which young players deserve a longer look and which ones might be squeezed out by opportunity.
To make room, the expected casualty is forward Blake Hinson, who would head to unrestricted free agency if he clears waivers. Bufkins arrival gives the Jazz another prospect to evaluate in their system, and because the deal covers one season, the timing adds a little extra urgency to a decision that could ripple through the rest of the bubble for the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Opener Brings An Emotional First Test For Utahs New Core
The season opener in Memphis already has a little extra edge for Utah, with the Jazz immediately thrown into a test against a Grizzlies team eager to reset after a wrecked injury year and an offseason that brought nine new faces into the mix. It is also the first chance to see top draft picks Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer share a stage in meaningful game action, a neat opening-night wrinkle that gives the matchup a little more than the usual early-season feel.
For Utah, the bigger storyline is the return of Jaren Jackson Jr. to the building where he built his early NBA identity before landing in Salt Lake City. His first game against his former team since the trade gives the opener an emotional layer that goes beyond standings and rotations, especially with both sides still sorting out new pieces and new roles. For the Jazz, it is a chance to see how their reworked core handles a familiar opponent that now looks very different from the one Jackson left behind. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Take Opening Night Flier On Former First Round Guard
The Jazz used their newly opened two-way spot to take a flier on Kobe Bufkin, a former first-round guard whose early NBA path has already included stops with the Hawks, Nets, Lakers and Pelicans. For Utah, it is the kind of low-risk addition teams make when they want another look at a young player with draft pedigree and a chance to earn a longer stay.
To make the move, the Jazz waived two-way forward Blake Hinson and cleared the roster spot for Bufkin. The appeal is obvious: a guard who arrived in the league as a high pick and still has room to prove he can carve out a role, even if the path to that opportunity has taken him through more teams than most players see this early in their careers. [Read more 🡒]