Jazz Mailbag: Who will lead the Jazz in scoring next year?
Mar 10, 2026, 3:07 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz Mailbag! This week, we look at who is the most likely player to lead the team in scoring next season.
Each week, we will send out a prompt on X and BlueSky asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.
Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s Jazz mailbag in the Jazz Notes podcast.
Jazz Mailbag: Who will be the team’s leading scorer next year?
Do you think jjj will have more shot attempts then Lauri next season? I assume those are top two on the jazz then key, ace, and walker? Is that the most likely order for scoring as well?
— Connor Morris (@cobe_1998) March 9, 2026
Question: Do you think Jaren Jackson Jr. will have more shot attempts than Lauri Markkanen next season? I assume those are the top two on the Jazz, then Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Walker Kessler? Is that the most likely order for scoring as well?
Answer: The Jazz face an intriguing problem next season as they sort out how to build an offense around newly acquired Jaren Jackson Jr., proven All-Star Lauri Markkanen, and rapidly rising guard Keyonte George.
Jackson Jr. led the Jazz in scoring in two of his three appearances with the team, though neither he nor Markkanen appeared in the fourth quarter of any of those games.
George played only 13 minutes with the new All-Star frontcourt before spraining his ankle in Jackson Jr.’s debut. Because of that, nothing in those brief sample sizes should be viewed as an indicator of what comes next.
Related: Jazz Mailbag – Could Jazz trade their 2026 draft pick?
Still, historical numbers can help project what the future may hold.
First, and perhaps most notably, Jackson Jr. has never been a team’s leading scorer despite his All-Star résumé and versatile offensive game.
At times, he was the Memphis Grizzlies’ second option behind Ja Morant, and he even fell to their third or fourth scoring option when Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks were on the roster.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a reminder that the NBA is a size/talent-driven league.
Sometimes it just comes down to being large and being able to make shots. pic.twitter.com/HScfN8F7CU
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 10, 2026
Even this season, Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome outscored Jackson Jr. in his 10 appearances with the team.
That suggests that three different coaches over Jackson Jr.’s eight-year career believed he fit better as a second option or lower in their offenses, and there’s a strong chance Will Hardy could reach the same conclusion.
Markkanen has led the Jazz in scoring in each of the last four seasons, though he and John Collins both averaged 19.0 points per game last year.
Though last season was a down year for Markkanen, it came alongside a high-usage frontcourt partner who cut into his scoring opportunities, not unlike Jackson Jr., and that came before George’s breakout season even began.
Had George shot last year as well as he has this season, he likely would have finished as the Jazz’s leading scorer, and at 22 years old, he’s likely to keep improving.
Keyonte George had 28 points on 8-17 shooting in the second half and two OTs, including the game winner with .7 seconds left.
Impressive bounce back after a very rough 2-10 first half. pic.twitter.com/KLFkO47gWy
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 17, 2025
Leaguewide trends also matter.
This season, six of the NBA’s top 10 scorers and 11 of the top 20 are ball-in-hand guards, with the remaining spots split among wings, forwards, and centers.
That shows the league favors players who dominate touches—something George already does with the Jazz.
Considering his trajectory, his age, and the NBA’s guard-driven scoring landscape, George appears to be the Jazz’s long-term go-to scorer. But that transition may not happen next season, and it may not be what best suits the roster.
George might not be ready to carry the scoring load, or he may choose to defer to Markkanen and Jackson Jr. as he continues to feed what he has called “the head of the snake.”
That could leave him in a role resembling Denver’s Jamal Murray, who helped lead the Nuggets to a championship while averaging 20.0 points per game, rather than competing with Nikola Jokic as the primary scorer.
Based on the evidence, Markkanen will likely remain the Jazz’s leading scorer next year, though his 26.7‑point average should dip.
Ultimately, choosing among three potential All-Stars is a good problem for the Jazz to have—and a welcome shift from what the last four years have offered.
Want to ask questions in next week’s Jazz mailbag? Follow us at @benshoops.
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Ben Anderson is the author of the Jazz Mailbag, a Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports, the author of the Jazz Mailbag, 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, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
