It's that time of year again, Utah Jazz fans! While this season may not be the winningest the team has seen, it should be a lot more exciting than what we've seen. Utah may not reap the rewards from this, but here are seven predictions that could make the season all the more exciting if they come true!
Ace Bailey will be the most exciting Jazz rookie since Donovan Mitchell
Alright, I can admit this prediction isn't that bold because he has looked that part in both the Summer League and preseason. However, you know who else did that? Donovan Mitchell himself. Every chance he got, he immediately showed the Jazz that they had something special with him.
Expect Bailey to do the same. The only difference between Bailey now and Mitchell then is that the latter surprised everyone when he did this. Bailey may have been high-risk when the Jazz drafted him, but it's no surprise at all that he already looks awesome. Expect his rookie season to be one for the ages.
Lauri Markkanen will be in trade rumors all season long (and it will be pointless)
When the Jazz inevitably start to struggle again, despite Markkanen looking like his old self, the narrative of a Markkanen trade will only grow louder with each passing day. Because it makes sense on paper, there will be plenty of rumors suggesting the Jazz will trade Markkanen mid-season.
And yet, Utah will keep him around until the offseason at the very least. The Jazz keep making it clear that he's not going anywhere. Markkanen intentionally signed his extension to ensure he wouldn't be traded last season, signifying that he wants to stay. Because the feeling is mutual, even if teams want someone like him, the Jazz will have no interest in pulling the trigger on a trade.
Walker Kessler raises his price tag this offseason
Kessler was frustrated by the Jazz not extending him when they had the chance. While there's a perfectly good rationale for why they chose not to, that also opens the door for Kessler to potentially ask for more than what he was asking for this summer.
The fourth-year Jazzman flashed his passing ability during preseason and made it clear he wants to evolve into a floor-spacer. If he manages to add both of those skills to his arsenal, that puts him at an All-Star level, which would also make him want more money than what he was already asking for.
When he adds that, the Jazz will have to pay him what he wants because it would add that much more value to what Kessler already has.
Georges Niang & Kevin Love stay, Jusuf Nurkic & Kyle Anderson go
The Jazz's roster isn't completely devoid of veterans, but many will only wonder who they plan to keep among the vets they acquired this summer. Well, Utah will keep the veterans who won't get in the way of their youth's development.
Love is at the point where just staying in the NBA whether he plays or not is all he wants. Niang has made it clear he loves Utah. Nurkic and Anderson simply don't have any reason to stay as Jazzmen, even if they haven't made any stink whatsoever about being on the Jazz.
Whether they trade them or waive them, Utah will see to it that their youth is what's most important., which means those two will be on playoff contenders by February or March.
It'll be clear one of Keyonte George or Isaiah Collier has to go
Initially, there was some temptation to predict that the Jazz would trade one of them, but Utah has no reason to cut the cord so quickly, as both are on rookie contracts. However, George and Collier have both shown they are talented, albeit flawed, prospects. If one of them stands out more than the other, then the Jazz will decide they shouldn't keep both when the offseason comes around.
This could definitely be the case if it's clear that Walter Clayton Jr. looks better than both, and if they plan to take a guard in the 2026 NBA Draft. The biggest takeaway form this is not so much that one will be traded, but that one will look good enough that Utah will know it's in their best interest to keep one.
Cody Williams will find his niche
I don't expect all of these predictions to come true. In fact, it's possible none of them come true, but that's the fun of these. No one knows the future. In Williams' case, that is definitely true. The idea of Williams is very exciting, but when he has shown vs. what he could be on paper has been very different.
This season, Williams won't exactly flip the narrative on him entirely, but he will prove that he is an NBA player. Don't expect him to play like a star, but expect him to a glue guy this season as a jack-of-all-trades wing.
The Jazz will be hyped up as the next Thunder
Last season was a very depressing watch for Jazz fans because a lot of their young talent did not develop in the way the team would have liked. That won't be the case this season. Utah won't get better results in the win column, but most (not all) of their youngsters will take the necessary steps forward.
Combine that with a high lottery pick coming their way, and by the end of the season, everyone will be convinced that the Jazz have a perennial title contender coming up. Oh, and it goes without saying that no, the Jazz will not fork over a lottery pick to the Thunder when it's all said and done.