The Utah Jazz got rid of Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins, surprising absolutely no one in the process. While it was clear Utah needed to give their youth the development they will need going forward, the one key ingredient those three provided was veteran mentorship. If the Jazz don't replace that, their young talent could be in trouble.
Teams with young talent aiming for a title have typically had the right veterans around their young stars. Take some of the last few NBA champions. The Oklahoma City Thunder had Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Boston Celtics had Al Horford and Jrue Holiday, and the Denver Nuggets had Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
They may not have been their best players, but they were the ones that helped get them out of jams not just through their play but through their influence on the team. Having those sturdy veterans helped those teams reach their potential, and they won something that will last forever.
The Jazz obviously don't have title aspirations, but they need the right veterans to guide them as they embrace this new chapter once and for all. They don't necessarily have to sign the best players available, but just the ones that can provide an example of the right work ethic.
This could explain why the Jazz kept Svi Mykhailiuk
While the Jazz's three moves mentioned above wasn't all that surprising, keeping Mykhailiuk over Johnny Juzang certainly raised some eyebrows. Utah depended more on Juzang than they did Mykailiuk, so it was mystifying that they kept the latter over the former.
However, Mykhailiuk has been in the league longer, won't take time away from Utah's young talent, and he has an NBA title to his name. While the Jazz haven't confirmed anything, it would make a lot of sense if that's why they chose to keep him for next season.
Juzang has proven he's an NBA player, but he may have gotten in the way of develop their youth. He's better than Mykhailiuk but Utah may have seen the veteran's influence as better for the team.
Does this mean the Jazz will keep Kevin Love?
When the Collins trade happened, almost immediately was it reported that the Jazz might simply buy him out, per Jake Fischer.
Kevin Love is certainly a buyout candidate in Utah.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 7, 2025
However, what's the rush? Love is also an NBA champion who was also once one of the NBA's biggest stars. Even if that was a decade ago, the Jazz could learn something from him. His influence could be that veteran presence the Jazz could use to develop their youth further the right way.
No one will blame Utah if they waive Love so he can catch on with a contender, but unless he makes a big fuss out of playing for a rebuilding team, there's no harm in keeping an expiring contract on the team if he can be the veteran presence they need.
Regardless of what happens, the Jazz may have made the right choice trading away veterans who would only take time away from their youngsters, but now it's on them to replace them with veterans who can help them while also not get in the way of their playing time.