Jazz Power Rankings Preview: What is the National Media Saying?

Do the Jazz get a top-five pick this year?

Mar 21, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) drives to the basket as Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (0) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The new NBA season is just around the corner. Will the Utah Jazz decide to go full tank mode, or will this be the year they make the playoffs for the first time during the Will Hardy regime? Only time will tell, but some major outlets have released their pre-season power rankings.

Some of the rankings were done before the Lauri Markkanen extension, but that's just fine. Utah signed their best player to a five year extension that will guarantee he'll be in a Jazz uniform for a minimum of one more season. If anything, Markkanen staying in Salt Lake City will make them more competitive.

Let's see what the national media is saying as the Jazz enter their third year of rebuilding, which started with parting ways with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

NBA.com #14 In Western Conference

The Jazz actually outscored their opponents with Markkanen on the floor last season, but they were brutal (minus-9.5 points per 100 possessions) when he was off the floor. So a trade (depending on what they got back) could drop them down in the range of 15-20 wins.

Beyond the Markkanen decision, the focus will likely be on the development of second-year players Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks. The former shot just 45.6% inside the arc (third worst among 161 players with at least 300 2-point attempts), while the latter played less than 900 minutes as a rookie.

ESPN #23

All eyes are on Utah through Aug. 6, the first day the Jazz can renegotiate Lauri Markkanen's contract in conjunction with a long-term extension. It is also the last day Utah can make that move and have Markkanen be trade eligible at the deadline. As a result, consider that date the deadline for a decision on a possible Markkanen trade. If the Jazz don't use the bulk of their $35 million in cap space on renegotiating Markkanen's contract, they suddenly become the prime destination for teams looking to shed salary, which could net Utah even more draft picks. --Pelton

Sportsnaut.com #22

The Utah Jazz were one of the best stories in the NBA power rankings for much of the 2022-23 season. However, reality eventually set in and it has never let up ever since. This past season was another year in the top-to-bottom rebuild of the Jazz organization. However, new reports suggest their owner wants to see more results next season and the honus is now on Danny Ainge to improve the roster this summer.

While they didn’t add any pieces this summer, they gave top star Lauri Markkanen a massive long-term extension to be at the heart of their rebuild.

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