Utah Jazz sit in Interesting Position Ahead of 2024-25 Season

Utah has a myriad of drafted projects, but plenty of win-now talent too.

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts to a play against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Of all the interesting situations in the NBA currently, few are more fascinating than the Utah Jazz.

As they have for the past few seasons, the team currently sits in the middle ground of the NBA, armed with win-now talents like All-Star Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins. They also have a young core of recent draftees in Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Cody Williams, Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski and more.

Suffice to say, the team has options in planning for its future, but none more enticing than leaning into a youth movement and opting for a full blown rebuild.

The team’s young core, led by George and Kessler at the moment, have shown enough talent to make them intriguing developmental options. And their recent draftees in Williams, Collier and Filipowski all showcase wildly high ceilings in their respective positions. 

While the current youth is impressive, high chances of real contention are typically brought on by top talent, which is usually acquired at the very top of the NBA Draft. In order to get there, though, the Jazz will likely need to move away from its win-now core.

While offloading Markkanen and others would be a tough choice, it would certainly be made easier by the talent coming in the 2025 NBA Draft. Many experts believe there as many as three to five franchise-changing talents, including Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and more.

Adding a bonafide future top 10-20 player would do wonders for the team’s rebuild, especially with a few of their current youngsters liable to hit.

Regardless, the Jazz will be one of the more interesting teams to follow in the coming months.

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