The Utah Jazz are coming into the new 2025-26 NBA season after having finished with the worst record in the league at 17-65. It marked a franchise record for losses and the first time the Jazz have ever lost more than 60 games in a season. Nevertheless, the were rewarded accordingly with the fifth overall pick in the latest NBA Draft, selecting phenom prospect Ace Bailey out of Rutgers. While this rebuild may have taken longer than expected, the Utah Jazz are still in the early stages of working their way back to prominence.
The roster still boasts former All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who's looking to bounce back after just 47 games logged with nagging injuries, the fewest total in his eight-year NBA career. He's still their do-it-all big man and has shot 39% from three in two of the last three seasons, so expect the Jazz to continue building around him in the future. They're also waiting on draft picks Keyonte George and Walker Kessler to finally make their break out efforts, so the Jazz will certainly be looking to surprise some Western Conference foes this season.
After notching just 17 wins last season, it'd be hard for this team to regress any further given their health to start the season. Still, this starting rotation will remain volatile all season and things could change in a matter of days given all the young talent on this team.
Jazz starting rotation
The projected Utah Jazz depth chart is as follows:
PG: Keyonte George – Isaiah Collier
SG: Walter Clayton Jr. – Ace Bailey
SF: Taylor Hendricks – Cody Williams / Svi Mykhailiuk
PF: Lauri Markkanen – Georges Niang / KJ Martin / Brice Sensabaugh / Kyle Anderson
C: Walker Kessler – Kyle Filipkowski / Jusuf Nurkic
Key Notes: Unlike many other teams, this roster may be much more fluid than others given the game flow assuming the Jazz will be trailing for most games throughout this season. This, of course, will give bench players an opportunity to step up and show their worth during in-game situations, always lending possibility for a starting position change. It's safe to say Lauri Markkanen will be a guaranteed starter given his massive $238 million contract extension from last season.
Keyonte George should also be locked-in as the starting point guard of this team, taking a massive leap in year 2 and carrying the team's scoring load with 16.8 PPG in many situations without Markkanen. He's still coming around as a passer and game manager, but George's big-play athletic ability should have his position relatively safe. Isaiah Collier has shown positive flashes off the bench and this season will be all about improving his game to add even more depth to their point guard spot.
The center position here is interesting as Kyle Filipkowski is coming off a Summer League MVP campaign a few months ago. Filipkowski certainly seems like the more versatile scorer opposite of Kessler, but Kessler's rebounding (12.2 RPG) far outweighs the production from Filipkowski (6.1 RPG). The defensive side is also a main reason, with Kessler averaging a whopping 2.4 blocks per game in three years, while Filipkowski hasn't been much of a factor in turning away shots.
Where will Ace Bailey play?
After an injury scare that shut him down for the rest of Summer League, Ace Bailey showed flashes of his highly-touted athleticism and ability to rebound the basketball. In a seemingly position-less league, Ace Bailey is the prototypical prospect at 6-foot-8 with freakish athletic ability. While he's currently listed as a “forward” and has performed as such through his Summer League action, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Bailey play a myriad of positions for the Jazz this season. Walter Clayton Jr. currently occupies the shooting guard spot, a position Ace Bailey can certainly thrive at given his length on the perimeters.
Furthermore, the forward position is crowded and lopsided on this roster, so Ace Bailey could fill in with his explosive talent and replace some of the spark a player like Collin Sexton gave this team last season.
Who will start at Small Forward?
As of now, the small forward position is crowded by Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams, and Svi Mykhailiuk. Hendricks was notably shut down last season due to ankle surgery, so he's clearly getting a chance in this starting position to begin the season. Cody Williams poses somewhat of a threat, but he's shooting just 32.3% from the field and needs to be much more consistent. Svi Mykhailiuk is a much more interesting name to watch, improving his 8.8 PPG and posting his best total since 2022. Still, expect this to be Hendricks' job to lose as he looks to prove himself in a bounce back year.
