Jazz Have Full 15 Man Roster After Latest Signings
Aug 14, 2024, 4:24 PM | Updated: Aug 15, 2024, 10:22 am
SALT LAKE CITY – Despite a slow start to the summer for the Utah Jazz, the team’s roster has taken shape after a slew of signings over the last week.
Having signed Patty Mills to a one-year deal on Wednesday, the Jazz have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, the max they can carry into the regular season.
Related: Utah Jazz Sign Veteran Patty Mills
Breaking Down The Utah Jazz Roster
Barring any late summer trades, the Jazz roster appears to be set heading into September’s training camp.
The Jazz remain one of the younger teams in the NBA with six rookies and sophomores all 20 years old or younger.
Mills and Jordan Clarkson are the only players on the roster older than 30, while as many as eight players with fewer than three years of NBA experience can be expected to compete for regular rotation minutes throughout the year.
Guards
The Jazz have by far their most depth in the backcourt, and yet, it may be where they have their fewest set answers.
Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and second-year guard Keyonte George will see the lion’s share of the minutes, though any combination of the three could find themselves starting on opening night.
NEW: According to reports, the @utahjazz will sign Patty Mills. https://t.co/pUjIiwfLJ5
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 14, 2024
Recently signed Svi Mykhailiuk could earn minutes at shooting guard, as could Brice Sensabaugh, though the Jazz may prefer to use their size on the wing.
Rookie Isaiah Collier will likely spend significant minutes with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League next season, while Mills can occupy time as a veteran floor spacer in spot minutes.
Wings
Unlike the backcourt, the Jazz are relatively thin on the wing, but are comfortable having Lauri Markkanen play at either position on the perimeter.
Markkanen appears to have added weight over the summer which may indicate a more full-time move to the power forward position, the same spot where he played most of his minutes last season.
Related: Footage Shows Bigger, Stronger Markkanen
That would leave second-year forward Taylor Hendricks, rookie Cody Williams, and Johnny Juzang, or the aforementioned Mykhailiuk and Sensabaugh competing for opportunities at the three.
Hendricks’s raw ball skills may force the Jazz to play him behind Markkanen rather than as a featured starter, though rookie Kyle Filipowski could also earn minutes as a backup four.
Center
Like the backcourt, the Jazz have a healthy number of bodies at center, but who plays and how often remains a question.
John Collins played his best basketball with the Jazz at center last year and provides an element of floor spacing not available with their other options.
with @NBASummerLeague coming to an end, this was definitely one to remember for @kylefilipowski 🤩#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/ekUKkXv21d
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 22, 2024
Walker Kessler is looking to bounce back after a difficult sophomore season, but will have to earn minutes over the veteran Collins and Drew Eubanks as he enters his third year.
Filipowski is also an option at center and is already the team’s best passer.
How Will Coach Will Hardy Use Jazz Roster?
Entering his third season as head coach, Will Hardy has a pattern of decision-making that may reveal how he plans to structure the Jazz rotation to begin the 2024-25 season.
Hardy is ardent that his players earn minutes and has yet to start a rookie on opening night in either of his first two seasons leading the team.
That doesn’t mean rookies don’t play, however, as both Kessler and George were in the rotation to begin their NBA careers, a trend that could bode well for Williams, Collier, or Filipowski.
If the @utahjazz keep Lauri Markkanen, are they too good to tank? #TakeNote https://t.co/6Sob0UZo6L
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 31, 2024
On the flip side, Hendricks, Sensabaugh, and Ochai Agbaji rarely saw the floor early in their careers, which could also indicate that one or more of the first-year players will earn the majority of their playing time in the G League.
Last season the Jazz struggled mightily when Collins and Kessler shared the floor, and barring radical growth during camp, the two players will likely continue to have their minutes staggered at the center position.
After trading Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji, and Simone Fontecchio in February, the Jazz were the sixth-worth three-point shooting team in the NBA to close the season.
The @utahjazz are reportedly signing wing Svi Mykhailiuk to a four-year deal.
What does it mean for the roster?#takenote https://t.co/1VO2LaMZE6
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 9, 2024
If that trend continues, Hardy may turn to veteran shooters Mills and Mykhailiuk to create space within the offense.
Finally, the Jazz have played one of the deeper, more flexible rotations in the NBA over the last two seasons.
Hardy has traditionally utilized 10 players in his rotation early in the season, though starting lineups tend to vary as he settles on a more regular minutes distribution.
That opens the door for the majority of the players on the team to compete for playing time on a deep, but inexperienced roster.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
