The Utah Jazz have accumulated a collection of young talent over the last three years. While they don't necessarily have that franchise player yet (as far as we know), there's still plenty to be excited about. However, something that the Jazz know even this early on is that for all the young players they've drafted, not all of them will stick with the team long-term.
The Deseret News' Sarah Todd revealed in a mailbag that Utah will pay close attention to their youngsters this season because it could determine who should stick around and who should be let go.
"This is going to be a big year for really deciding what the Jazz have in their young players. The Jazz are eventually going to have to make decisions on which young players they think will benefit them in the future. The group of Collier, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Filipowski, Cody Williams, Bailey, Clayton and John Tonje are not all going to be a part of the next great Jazz team," Todd wrote.
It may not just be about talent, but about fit as well. When it comes to building a contender, it's not about assembling the most talent possible, but also about getting the most cohesive talent. Many couldn't believe the Jazz would trade Adrian Dantley, but it's what propelled them to a perennial playoff contender for the next decade-plus.
Utah may enter a similar predicament as they get to know their youth more from here on out.
Taking the temperature on where their youth stands now
We're going to exclude the Jazz's three rookies because they haven't seen one official NBA minutes yet, but their other young players drafted from 2023 onward definitely deserve a look.
Taylor Hendricks: The real shame about him is that the Jazz had every intention of throwing him to the wolves this last season before that darn season-ending injury ruined everything. There's no denying Hendricks' impressive physical attributes, but it may take a minute for him to psycholocially recover from what happened last year.
Keyonte George: George was once considered the Jazz's most promising prospect, but an underwhelming sophomore season has made him mostly forgotten. Luckily, with Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson gone, George should get another chance, but if no improvement is made, that could be a problem for his future with the Jazz.
Brice Sensabaugh: One year after he looked like he wouldn't finish his rookie contract in Utah, Sensabaigh is suddenly the most promising player from his class. While he may not be a star in the making, Sensabaigh looks like the next Kyle Korver/Georges Niang type for Utah.
Cody Williams: After having just about the worst rookie season imaginable, Williams showed signs of life during the Summer League. However, he needs to prove that his skills can translate on an NBA level for him to revive any hope that he could be a Jazzman long-term.
Isaiah Collier: Collier had a standout rookie season for a late first-round pick, as his passing certainly dazzled audiences. However, everyone knows at this point that for Collier to prove himself as part of Utah's long-term foundation, he'll need to add a jumpshot to his arsenal.
Kyle FIlipowski: Filipowski might be the most exciting Jazz youngster they have outside of Bailey, especially after the Summer League performance he just came off of. No one is saying he's a star in the making, but no one's not saying it either. Filipowski might end up a rotation big or he might end up being something special. Of all the Jazz's young talent from the 2023 and 2024 class, he has the least doubt.