With a month away from training camp, here is the projected starting five that will more than likely take the floor at the start of the season.
The Utah Jazz's offseason business is basically over. Walker Kessler is a Los Angeles Laker; Jaren Jackson Jr. will start his first full season with the team and Danny Ainge's front office has stacked enough draft capital and short-term deals to keep an open mind heading into the new year.
With training camp a little over a month away, here's the starting five that will more than likely take the floor in October and why multiple spots still leave gray areas.
Point Guard
Keyonte George isn't just penciled in at the point; he is the engine for this Utah team. George had his breakout last season, averaging 23.6 points a game before he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury on March 11 that slowed the second half of the year.
He now enters a contract year that will define his value, with the Jazz still deciding whether to extend him.
No one on this roster pushes the pace as George does, and there's no real competition for this job.
Shooting Guard
This is where we enter the fuzzy area of the roster. No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson gets the nod for now, but second-year Ace Bailey is breathing down his neck. Bailey is bigger, more experienced defensively and only needed 10 games to crack the starting lineup as a rookie.
Peterson profiles as the cleanest fit of any prospect in his draft class — a three-level scorer who should slide into pace and space immediately. If he outplays Bailey in the preseason, don't be surprised if the Jazz flip the two and start Peterson from the jump.
If that's the case, there is an argument for Bailey to slide to the small forward spot.
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the second pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson after he was selected by the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesSmall Forward
Lauri Markkanen remains the go-to player on the roster. Entering his fifth season with Utah as the longest-tenure Jazz player on the depth chart, Markkanen looks to pick up where he left off.
He averaged north of 25 points a game when healthy, and there is no reason to expect a major statistical dropoff.
The biggest question is where he plays. With Jackson and Jusuf Nurkic manning the frontcourt, Markkanen likely moves to the three in a long and tall starting lineup look.
Power Forward
Jaren Jackson arrived in Utah via a February trade and only got to play one game with this core before Utah shut him down. He's the newest max-level piece on the roster.
Expect him to play some center this year, but he will spend most of his time at the power forward position.
Jackson at the four frees up the middle for a traditional rebounder next to him in Nurkic.
What's enticing is that Markkanen and Jackson give the Jazz a look at the frontcourt they haven't seen in years: two All-Stars.
Center
This was going to be Walker Kessler's spot before Utah shipped him off to the Lakers for draft capital. It's now Jusuf Nurkic's job to lose.
Nurkic isn't the defensive pest that Kessler is, but he is a reliable rebounder who can anchor the interior next to Jackson Jr.
It's a lower ceiling at the five than the Jazz had lined up two months ago, but it's a stable enough fit for a team still built around wing scoring.
Bottom Line
Nothing about this lineup has been tested. The Jackson-George pairing had shared only one game. On paper, this is the most talented five-man group Utah has trotted out since the rebuild began.
With the lottery reform removing any incentive to tank, the Jazz are finally building toward the Play-In, not shying away from it.
