The NBA regular season is back, and with it returns the Utah Jazz.
It’s no secret that playoff hopes for the Jazz are likely a thing of the somewhat distant future. But thanks to recent developments in the realm of player trades, acquisitions, and development of key stars, the team’s future looks bright nonetheless.
Now, with the 2024 season underway, the Jazz are showing hopes of setting a winning culture and laying the groundwork for future success.
Strategic trading
Understanding the potential of this year’s Jazz team requires a deep dive into the pieces that they’ve assembled in recent years leading up to this season.
Two notable trades in the 2022 offseason, of multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and star guard Donovan Mitchell, have ushered in young talent for Utah to develop.
Utah traded Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for, among other considerations, Walker Kessler, who has become the Jazz’s defensive anchor in his third year. In return for Mitchell, Utah received Collin Sexton, who has proven to be an electric guard for the team; shooting guard Ochai Agbaji; and 7-foot Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen.
Markkanen is worth talking about. A seven-foot big man who can drain threes and finish in the paint, in his first season with Utah, Markkanen became the first player in NBA history to record 100 dunks and 200 successful three-point shots in the same season.
Markkanen’s performance over the first two seasons with the Jazz helped earn him a max contract, signaling Utah’s commitment to him despite recent trade rumors with the Golden State Warriors.
Markkanen told The Athletic in September that the added attention from the Warriors and other interested franchises reinforced the effort he’d been putting in to improve his game since entering the league in 2017, but he “knew” he wanted to return to Utah regardless.
Last season, Markkanen averaged 23 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal per game. Showcasing his versatility and scoring ability, those numbers are why some have drawn comparisons to NBA greats like Dirk Nowitzki, a former MVP and champion who is widely regarded as the greatest “stretch big” of all time.
Recent draft wins
While the Jazz have made it apparent that Markkanen is the cornerstone piece of their franchise, there are several other young, intriguing talents of note. Take, for example, Utah’s three draft picks from 2023: Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh.
Hendricks has shown promise as an elite “3-and-D wing” with potential to sustain a long, lustrous NBA career. Meanwhile, George has shown star ability with his flashy scoring and elite playmaking level, often surpassing what is expected for a younger player. While George’s efficiency could use some work, he is frequently projected to one day become a top-tier scorer in the league.
And although Sensabaugh played in just 32 games as a rookie, he shows promise and will likely become a key piece in Utah’s rotation in 2024.
The Jazz also drafted three players in 2024 who all have tremendous potential: Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski.
Williams was taken tenth overall by the Jazz. The 6-foot-7, 190-pound forward needs to put on some more muscle, but he shows tremendous potential as a defender and finisher.
Collier, once projected to be a top-five draft pick, fell to Utah in the 29th spot. Even so, he is projected to be an elite-level shot creator and playmaker. But similar to Williams, there remain questions about his size and whether he can weather a more physical style of basketball in the NBA.
Filipowski, a second-round pick, has shown promise in being a great playmaker, finisher and stretch big — averaging 7.3 points in 17 minutes per game.
The Jazz have already secured 19 draft picks through 2031, not to mention the many other important players that round out the roster. Local fans report feeling excited for the future, despite the team currently sitting second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 3-8 record.
Home games are already causing a stir at the Delta Center. Liam Templeton, a college freshman at Snow College majoring in engineering, attended Utah’s opening night game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“It felt pretty good, especially when the Jazz had some momentum,” Templeton said in regards to the atmosphere of the game.
Fans may also benefit from the exciting distraction that rooting for the Jazz brings. Templeton, an avid fan, said NBA basketball helps him relax when he’s stressed for an exam.
Visit the Utah Jazz team portal on NBA.com to view the full 2024-25 season schedule.
