Camp Storylines: Lauri Markannean and Jaren Jackson Jr. Entering First Year as Teammates

In February of last season, the Utah Jazz traded Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three-first round picks for All-Star big and elite interior defender Jaren Jackson Jr. 

Jackson's sample size with his new threads was small. He played only three games for Utah last season before he was shut down for the remainder of the year. Jackson averaged 22.3 points in about 24 minutes for that brief stretch.

It was enough to show that the vision is there, but not enough to prove it.

The 2026-27 season is the real test not only for Jackson but also for the Jazz front office.

Markkanen is the catalyst for the Jazz heading into the preseason. He's a 7-footer who shoots with guard-like efficiency and seems to keep defenses guessing. At least for the last few seasons, opponents really haven't had an answer for him.

Then you have Jackson, who is as comfortable as Markkanen is on the perimeter and can attack hard closeouts off the dribble.

It gives coach Will Hardy two big men who can play on the perimeter and pull rim protectors away from the paint, giving Keyonte George and other guards free lanes to the basket.

Hardy said soon after the trade that he wanted to see how opponents would adjust to the pair's length and playmaking ability.

Most defenses use a wing on one and a center on the other, with both options being costly. A wing is too small to guard both, and a traditional center is too slow laterally to follow either of them to the 3-point line.

Defense is where this fit could go from good to a legitimate threat. Jackson is a 6-foot-10 big who can block shots at will and switch onto smaller guards with no issue. He can also man the paint when Markkanen is in the game alongside him with no hiccup defensively.

With Walker Kessler no longer on the team, the Jazz need someone to make up for its interior presence, and Jackson will more than likely fill that role.

The Jazz have to decide how to handle the minutes during crunch time. Markkanen's usage will have to drop to make room. While Utah has veteran Jusuf Nurkic, it also lacks depth in the frontcourt behind the two, so an injury to either would change the game plan completely. 

If the pairing works, Utah has a real chance to make it to the playoffs. The roster has plenty of young talent around the two stars, but they set the stage.

Last season cut the pairing short. If both players stay healthy, 2026-26 will be the first real look at what it can achieve.