When the Utah Jazz's offseason, what everyone wondered was who they were going to draft, if they would keep Walker Kessler, and if they would keep Jusuf Nurkic. Well, all of that has been pretty much been taken care of. Now, they are turning their attention toward rounding out the edges.
They added one with Jaxson Hayes, a passable lob threat and rim protector that possesses insane athleticism. Basically, he is an excellent choice as a backup center. Now, they've added another one in Josh Okogie. ESPN's Shams Charania confirmed the Jazz's latest addition.
Free agent F/G Josh Okogie has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Okogie -- a wing defender who shot 38.5% from 3 last season in Houston -- considered several suitors before the Jazz received the commitment tonight from Okogie and his… pic.twitter.com/Bh9RN9KaHo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2026
Okogie's traditional numbers won't jump out at you, but he is a hyper athletic, strong wing defender that should tighten Utah's perimeter defense. Utah's defense is going to have some questions, despite having Jaren Jackson Jr., but those questions also got amplified the the minute they traded Kessler.
Okogie doesn't solve the hole at rim protection that Kessler leaves behind, but he gives the Jazz something the badly needed defense around the perimeter. Utah has some young players with high defensive intrigue individually, like Cody Williams and Ace Bailey, but there's no telling if their defense is ready for when the Jazz get serious.
If Okogie's three-ball is real, this is a steal
No rhyme intended. Okay, that's a lie, it definitely was.
What makes Okogie a smart addition, besides it being a team-friendly contract, is that he showed an improved three-point last season in Houston. He shot a career-high 38.5% from distance. Technically, he shot 38.1% from three in his half season with Phoenix the year before, but that was for only half a season where he found himself in and out of their rotaiton.
In Houston, his shooting percentage was over the course of the season. If Okogie can prove that his improvements as a floor spacer are very much legitimate, Utah can benefit big time from this.
The Jazz have plenty of scoring personnel, from Lauri Markkanen to Keyonte George to Jaren Jackson Jr. to Ace Bailey to even Brice Sensabaugh. What they lack are two-way players. Now, they may not have only just gotten one, but they got one for a discount.
Okogie doesn't push the Jazz into title contention, but he covers up a roster flaw. The Jazz's front office is clearly signaling that they are doing everything they can to put the best product out there on the floor. Okogie's not the sexiest name, but Jazz fans should rejoice in the bargains they have found on the open market.
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