Cody Williams' first NBA season with the Utah Jazz was as disastrous as anyone could have feared. Even with all the fair opportunities the Jazz gave him, Williams never capitalized on them, casting much doubt on his long-term future. However, Williams' weight gain indirectly confirms what went wrong in his rookie year: he didn't have an NBA body.
Williams was quite skinny upon coming to the NBA. During Jazz Media Day, it was clear how much different he looked now compared to his rookie season.
Cody Williams is looking a lot bigger than last year 👀 pic.twitter.com/JJOQRAXotD
— matt (@aightmatt) September 29, 2025
Now it is normal for young players who come into the NBA to still be growing into it, and hence, they enter the league being pretty skinny. That was definitely the case with Williams, but it's different now. He confirmed as much.
The result of this eating: Cody Williams says he's about 13 pounds heavier than last season going into 2025-26. https://t.co/rGqluTKmH3
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 4, 2025
Williams was pretty invisible when he was on the court. He seemed to lack confidence and didn't really know where to be. Utah knew that he would be raw when the team drafted him, but he looked like if he was going to turn into anything at all, he would be a very long-term project.
The jury is still out on what he could be long-term, but at least Williams has improved on something that a. helps players stay in the NBA and b. helps young players like him reach his potential. He may not get the same opportunities he did his rookie season, but that might just be what he needs to
Williams can build off a fantastic Summer League performance
Kyle Filipowski, Ace Bailey, and Brice Sensabaugh all understandably outshined Williams during the 2025 Summer League, but the biggest takeaway from his performance there was that, by looking much more comfortable on the court and much more confident in what he could do, Williams looked much less like a deer in the headlights.
With more muscle and more confidence, Williams may be primed for a breakout season, though for the time being, fans should only be cautiously optimistic. The bar is so low for him that he has to show that he can do something on an NBA floor.
This season, Utah's focus will be on who among their young guys are long-term keepers. Williams projects to be a jack-of-all-trades wing who can do a bit of everything if he reaches his potential. He didn't exactly show that last season, but it's not too late for him.
Now that he's coming into the NBA with a body that's ready for it, the Jazz may feel much better about him by the end of this season than they did at the end of the last one.