Jazz Front Office Reveals Priorities for Upcoming Season

Utah Jazz fans should get ready for the youth movement.

Feb 6, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; From left to right, Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik, CEO Danny Ainge, owner Ryan Smith and head coach Will Hardy sit court side before the game between the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Another season of Jazz basketball is set to start on Monday, with Media Day acting as the official kickoff of the 2024-25 NBA season. Before that, the Utah Jazz decision-makers held a media availability on Friday consisting of owner Ryan Smith, President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge, and General Manager Justin Zanik.

This meeting with the media sets the tone for the upcoming season and should clue fans and interested parties into what their ultimate plan is for the upcoming season. So what can we expect? It’s pretty simple: player development and prioritization of the youth. 

The Jazz finally seem to be embracing where they’re at in their rebuild. While they’ve finished amongst the bottom 10 in the league standings the past two seasons, it’s taken some mid-season maneuvering to hurt the team’s competitive chances in each season. The messaging is different this year, though. During this press conference, there was no mention of trying to make the playoffs or win as many games as possible. Instead, they talked about player development and giving their young players the infrastructure needed to grow. 

The Jazz have drafted six players in the past two drafts. As of today, all have yet to turn 21 years old. Given the state of the roster, the team will likely allow these youngsters to play, learn, and develop throughout the season. With this goal taking center stage, wins will likely take time to come by. 

Keyonte George will likely retain his role as the starting point guard. Both Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh were given a rotational role late last season and will be given ample opportunity this season. Walker Kessler is entering his third season and will likely be the starting center on opening day. 

The Jazz drafted Cody Willimas, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski this summer. They each were able to spend the majority of the summer in the Jazz’s development program and could all carve out a role earlier than later. Ainge, Zanik, and Smith each echoed the importance of player development during the media session. How these seven young players develop alongside Lauri Markkanen will help shape the future of Jazz basketball. 

The team's veterans were strategically added to the roster to help the youthful pieces develop and set an example of professionalism and the type of hard work needed to stick in the league. They will still play key roles on the court (some more than others), but expect it to look differently than the previous two years when the team's younger players struggled to find minutes. 

The team is rightfully excited about their future, but as with any rebuilding team, they will struggle to find wins. That’s okay, though, because the Jazz have made it clear that they’re prioritizing the future. If they’re going to reach the lofty goals they’ve set, player development will play a key role in getting there. Expect the Jazz to usher in a youth movement as the long journey of trying to bring a championship to Utah continues

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