How Cody Williams Could Be The Answer To Utah’s Biggest Question Mark
Feb 27, 2026, 4:12 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — This time a year ago, critics were quick to rule Cody Williams out after a slow start to his NBA career.
Now, just weeks away from the Utah Jazz making their competitive pivot, the young forward could end up being the missing piece to complete the puzzle.
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With a year under his belt, the goal was clear for Cody Williams. He needed to put on weight and simplify things for himself on offense.
Prior to the 2025-2026 season, he lived in the gym and the kitchen. Williams said in October that he was eating 4,800 calories a day and put on 13 pounds in the offseason.
Although it may not seem like much, it has made a massive difference. Defenses can’t easily push him off his spot, and he can now more effectively use his body on the other end.
On a team that has struggled immensely on defense over the last few seasons, Williams has now emerged as one of the better perimeter defenders.
Cody Williams pleasantly surprises me so often that it really shouldn’t be a surprise at this point.
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) February 21, 2026
After trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. earlier this month, the Utah Jazz made two things clear: Playoff contention starts next season, and minutes will be much harder to come by.
The projected starting lineup looks like Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler. Isaiah Collier and Jusuf Nurkic (or a different veteran center) will take time off the bench as positions of need.
From there, it gets tricky. John Konchar has already shown he can do the little things necessary to win games. Svi Mykhailiuk is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the league, and he’s on a very team-friendly deal.
That leaves one or two spots in Will Hardy’s rotation — and Cody Williams could be the one to step up.
cocked it back and let it rip 💥😮💨
still thinking about Cody’s poster from last night 🤩#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/3Q9VvQk7gD
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 27, 2026
Williams doesn’t necessarily have the scoring punch, but Utah already has an abundance of scoring from George, Markkanen, JJJ, and even Bailey.
Kessler and Jackson Jr. bring rim protection, but the lineup already looks like it may lack perimeter defense.
Assuming Williams can add more weight this summer and make more strides on that end, he could easily be crowned the best point-of-attack defender in the locker room.
That alone could be enough to earn minutes, potentially even in clutch time when you need two-way players the most. Only time will tell, but don’t count out Cody.
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