It's winning time for the Utah Jazz, and that means the young core will be fighting for their lives.
There comes a time in every young basketball player's life, where he must shed his skin as a promising up-and-comer with potential to become a certified professional. In the case of the young players making their NBA careers with the upstart Utah Jazz, this season is winning time -- both in record and in contract negotiations.
The Jazz are new, sleek, fresh, and amped to revolt against the status quo of contenders atop the Western Conference standings. The elites have had it too good for too long, and though the Jazz are still a ways off from making a championship push, they're both frisky enough to pester the towering giants of OKC, San Antonio, and Denver, and bulky enough to cause some real damage.
It's the perfect spot to stand for the final act of a prolonged rebuild -- a springboard toward contention without the weight of expectation.
But if Utah truly expects to make a name for themselves this season, it'll take much more than the cream at the top to flush out the fattened kings above: the Utah Jazz need substance at their core to make an impact.
That's where the young core comes in.
Every successful rebuild is constructed upon the backs of talented (and affordable) young players. Hoopers who are just happy to be here, and hope to make a name for themself at the NBA level. And to varying degrees, the Jazz possess one of the most interesting and exciting batches of youth in basketball.
But only some of them can be in the Jazz's long-term plans. This year, we'll learn which players contribute to winning and which players are doomed to fall off the wagon.
Allow me to introduce some of the individuals fighting for their careers and new contracts this season. This gets even more interesting after the Cody Williams trade.
Keyonte George
Keyonte is by no means on the chopping block. After posting nearly 24 points per game and over 6 assists in his third season, he shed all accusations of being a high-volume, low-efficiency player. But he's a poor defender, and the jury is still out on whether he actually contributes to winning basketball.
Isaiah Collier
Collier also feels like a player in the Jazz's long-term plans, but with a caveat. He's a very poor shooter, despite being one of the most efficient passers in the game at the moment. He seems destined to be a lifetime backup, but that's not necessarily a bad thing on a roster like this.
Kyle Filipowski
"Flip" is an odd player. It's not uncommon to see Filipowski post a 15-point, 10-rebound outing when given space to operate, but his inconsistency and poor defense leave me questioning if he's really in the Jazz's long-term plans. As things stand, he's a more than serviceable backup for Markkanen.
Brice Sensabaugh
Sensabaugh might be one of the most attractive (and attainable) trade pieces for the Jazz this season. After a year where he posted some absurd scoring sums, Sensabaugh is on a path to becoming the best bench scorer in the entire NBA, so long as he can remain consistent. He's a defensive liability at times, though, so that needs to be a point of emphasis in '26-'27.
