The Utah Jazz have a promising future. They should keep building towards that, even if it means another year of growing pains.
Potential. Promise. Hope. With 3 young draft picks on the roster for 2023-24, and many more coming in the next 5 years, the Utah Jazz rebuild is in full swing, even if they aren’t calling it that.
With multiple players on the roster who are on short deals and with favorable cap numbers, and others on rookie deals or low-salary options, the team is arguably being constructed by Danny Ainge for contention down the road, not so much in the moment.
While Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are certainly capable scorers, it is hard to see them being cornerstones of the Jazz beyond the 2023-24 season. The same goes for Kelly Olynyk and Talen Horton-Tucker, both on expiring deals that are very tradeable. Even John Collins and Lauri Markkanen could be moved if the right deals come along.
And the Utah Jazz didn’t keep all 3 first-round picks in 2023 for nothing – they need to get value from each of them. Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks need reps to get better, and for the Jazz to find out if either of them can be franchise cornerstones in this rebuild.
To do this, they need to play more than 12 minutes a night, think 20-25 minutes and have well-defined roles in the offense immediately, even if that brings growing pains for the Jazz.
Brice Sensabaugh might play more in the G-League early on, but getting him 10-15 minutes a night would be helpful for the Jazz in finding out if he can contribute.
Luka Samanic and Omer Yurtseven should also be utilized, to see if they are capable of becoming solid role players. Yurtseven is the only other center on the roster besides Kessler, so the Jazz need him to play a role and be a capable player. Samanic has shown some flashes in limited minutes and could develop into a nice backup if the Jazz give him reps at the 4 spot.
Another reason the Utah Jazz should focus on continuing their building phase is the strength of the Western Conference at the moment. However, the balance is close to a tipping point as multiple teams are facing the prospect of major changes after the 2023-24 season.
San Antonio, Houston, Portland, Dallas, New Orleans, and Minnesota are still works in progress and are unlikely to be serious contenders this season.
The Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the LA Clippers are ‘win now’ teams that have short windows to compete, and injuries or slow starts could drastically change their outlook.
Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, and Oklahoma City are ready to contend now and should be among the best teams in the Western Conference in 2023-24.
Danny Ainge is likely aware of all of this. He has the flexibility to position the Utah Jazz to compete in 2024-25 and beyond. Making deals as teams start to dismantle their cores, building around the young talent the Utah Jazz already have, and having a loaded draft cache to work with, should position the team very well for the 2nd half of the decade.
If the Jazz brass are willing to be patient this year and lean into the rebuild a little longer, it could reap significant rewards as the other West teams begin their own rebuilds, or age out of contention. Just as the Utah Jazz are becoming a young, hungry team that nobody wants to deal with.