The Utah Jazz haven't had any representation in the All-Star Game since 2023 when Lauri Markkanen made the team. With the exception of last year, he's still played at All-Star level since then. Next year, when the Jazz start winning again, the All-Star Game should be back on the table for him, but not only that, but franchise history could be made next year: Utah having three All-Stars.
Trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. signaled that Utah plans to get the ball rolling next season. When they do, the Jazz have three legitimate candidates to make the All-Star team: Markkanen, Jackson, and Keyonte George.
Markkanen and George both played at an All-Star level this season, but both got snubbed because the NBA doesn't reward tanking teams with All-Star recognition. Because they won't be tanking anymore, there won't be anymore excuses pending any unforeseen injuries.
Jackson also has an All-Star pedigree, making two All-Star teams in 2023 and 2025, and if the Jazz win enough games with him healthy, he has the chance to make it three.
Now, if the Jazz are simply average despite those three efforts, odds are, at most, they'll get two, and the likely candidates would be Markkanen and JJJ because they've been there before. However, if they are an elite team, and there's a solid cast that they could be, it will be hard to argue against their three best players representing them during the All-Star Break.
Technically, if it happens, it wouldn't be the first time they've done this.
The Jazz did this once before, but it's been almost 40 years
If you are well-versed in Jazz history, you probably know around the time when this happened. During the Karl Malone-John Stockton era, the Jazz usually had those two represent the team in the All-Star Game. However, in 1989, Mark Eaton, who is also held in high esteem, made the team as well as those two.
Coincidentally, this was also the first time Stockton had made it, though Malone made the team the year before. This was also around the time the Jazz started to make the league take notice. If next year's Jazz team does the same, it may be the start of something beautiful.
The only way we'll know for sure is when they all take the floor. However, anyone who saw those three games with JJJ could see the vision of what's to come. Utah wasn't even fully healthy then, which makes it even scarier when they are.
It won't be just those three either. Walker Kessler, Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, and a high lottery pick should make Utah dangerous. It may not be too long before they have four All-Stars at one time, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.
Because, you know, insinuating that they could have three by this time next year totally isn't getting too ahead of ourselves...