The Utah Jazz may be headed for a lot more wins this season, but that doesn’t mean the roster is suddenly free of pressure points. If anything, the next couple of months are loaded with them. With a little over two months left before the 2026-27 season tips off, there are still major questions hanging over nearly every corner of this team.
Some of those questions are about talent. Some are about fit. A few could shape what Utah looks like well beyond this season.
Keyonte George is one of the clearest examples. His question gets answered sooner rather than later, since the extension deadline comes before the regular season. What matters now is whether the Jazz’s young guard signs now or waits until next summer, because that decision could ripple into Utah’s next offseason.
Ace Bailey’s trajectory is another storyline worth watching closely. He kept getting better after the All-Star break in his rookie year, and now he’s had a full offseason to sharpen his game and add more strength. The big question is simple: what does year two look like, and is a real leap coming?
Lauri Markkanen brings a different kind of pressure. He’s been in the league since 2017, but through nine seasons, he still hasn’t appeared in a playoff game. With the Jazz trying to win more this year, that streak could finally end.
Defense is going to be a major test too, especially for Jaren Jackson Jr. He only played three games for Utah after arriving at the trade deadline, so there’s still a lot to learn about how much he can actually swing things on that end. Given how poor the Jazz defense has been, his impact could become one of the season’s biggest stories.
At center, the spotlight shifts to Jusuf Nurkic with Walker Kessler no longer on the roster. Nurkic started in place of Kessler last season and did well in that role, but doing it again while Utah is trying to win at a higher level is a much bigger assignment.
Isaiah Collier’s path is a little different. He’s already shown real promise as a handler and playmaker, but the jumper remains the sticking point. He shot 25.7% from three across his first two seasons, and if that number jumps in 2026-27, it changes a lot for him.
Then there’s Darryn Peterson, who gives Utah a shot at something it hasn’t had since 1981: a Rookie of the Year on the roster. The franchise’s last one was Darrell Griffith, and Peterson looks like the best chance they’ve had since then. If he gets rolling early and becomes a focal point on offense, he could put himself right into that conversation.
Brice Sensabaugh is in a more uncertain spot. His contract situation is murky alongside George’s, and without an extension, he’s set to hit restricted free agency in 2027. This season gives him a clean runway to prove he belongs as a long-term piece.
Cody Williams might be facing the toughest year of all. After two uneven seasons, the questions are still basic but brutal: can he defend, and can he get his three-point shot right? If the answers stay no, his future in Utah gets awfully shaky.
Kyle Filipowski is another young frontcourt piece trying to define himself. His fit has felt a little awkward since he arrived in 2024, and this season gives him a chance to settle the debate.
Can he be a dependable center, or is he better suited as a four? With Kessler gone, Utah could use him to become part of the answer inside.
The wing rotation is crowded enough that even veterans have something to prove. Svi Mykhailiuk logged a big role in the first half of last season before his minutes faded once the tank deepened. Now that Utah is back in win-now mode, his place in the rotation - and how his minutes compare to last year’s 23.1 - is very much up in the air.
John Konchar faces a similar squeeze. With Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, Mykhailiuk, and free-agent addition Josh Okogie all in the mix on the wing, there may not be many minutes left for him. He brings defense and a scrappy edge, but opportunity could be hard to come by.
Okogie, though, was brought in for a reason. Utah wanted his defense, but last season he also knocked down nearly 39% of his threes. If that shot keeps falling, his role could grow fast.
The Jazz also moved quickly to add Jaxson Hayes after trading Walker Kessler, hoping to stabilize the center depth. Hayes gives them size and interior presence, but he doesn’t bring Kessler’s rebounding or defense. Whether he can hold up night after night will matter.
And then there’s Mo Bamba, whose deal is not fully guaranteed. Utah could keep him around for the next two years, or cut him before opening night and owe only his $200,000 signing bonus. That makes his roster spot one to watch closely.
In Other News...
Jaren Jackson Jr. Could Decide How Far This Jazz Team Goes
The Jazz brought in Jaren Jackson Jr. with the expectation that his reputation would travel with him, and for good reason. He is a two-time All-Star and a former Defensive Player of the Year, the kind of front-line presence that can change how a team looks on both ends of the floor. But as the season builds, Jackson is also arriving with some questions attached, including a recent podcast ranking that placed him 21st among NBA defenders and pointed to concerns about his defensive rebounding, fouling and work on the perimeter.
For Utah, that makes his role even more central than the usual new-star storyline. The Jazz are trying to push themselves into the playoff picture, and Jacksons ability to re-establish himself as a true defensive anchor could go a long way toward determining how far they can go. If he steadies the back line and starts looking more like the disruptive force he has been before, Utahs ceiling rises with him. If not, the Jazz may find that the gap between reputation and production is a hard one to close. [Read more 🡒]