The most notable games on the Utah Jazz schedule next season
Aug 20, 2026, 10:21 AM
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz and every other NBA franchise received their regular-season schedule last week.
Now that 80 of the 82 games have had a chance to be digested, let’s take a look at some of the biggest games on the schedule for next season.
View this post on Instagram
Utah Jazz Schedule: Top 6 Biggest Games
No. 5 – The national television debut
The Utah Jazz tripled their number of nationally broadcast games from last year, jumping from two to six.
The first of which comes on Tuesday, November 17, against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome. Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through, the Clips will be entering a new era and will be a very beatable opponent in a game put in front of everyone in the country.
The game will also feature No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler versus No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson making their respective national TV debuts as they face off for the first time since the Vegas Summer League.
No. 4 – Old stars on new teams come to the Delta Center
Two games here worth noting. Utah vs. Miami on Tuesday, November 10, and Utah vs. Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 23.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will be branding a non-Bucks jersey for the first time in his career as he brings his Heat to Salt Lake City in the 11th game on the schedule for the Jazz.
Fast forward to near the end of the season, Utah will welcome LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and the new-look 76ers to the Delta Center in game No. 72.
Cont…
– 4 of the 6 national TV games are on the road. Two against Cali teams. Two against Houston in a weeks time.
– 13 back-to-backs. 11 instances of 2-4 days off.
– Toughest two-week stretch looks to be in the holidays. BOS twice, NYK twice, OKC, IND, and CLE mixed in.— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) August 13, 2026
No. 3 – Walker Kessler’s first game in Utah as a Laker
One of the biggest storylines around the Utah Jazz this offseason was the restricted free agency and eventual sign-and-trade of Walker Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The schedule makers wasted no time in giving Kessler his fateful return to where his career began. Less than a week after opening night, the Lakers will march into the Delta Center on Sunday, October 25.
The arena is sure to be loud, and it will be the only chance for fans to spill their hearts out to the fifth-year big man. The Jazz and Lakers match up three times in 2026-27. The following two games will be played in Southern California.
No. 2 – Jaren Jackson Jr. returns to Memphis for season-opener
Each of the next two entries has a real argument for the game of the year on paper.
There are numerous storylines to follow in this one. Utah’s season opener, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s first game back in Memphis, Darryn Peterson’s NBA debut, and the official end of the rebuild. Not to mention, this game will also feature No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer’s debut.
Jazz fans will have been waiting for months for this game, and it will have the chance to encapsulate what is to come.
View this post on Instagram
No. 1 – Darryn Peterson versus AJ Dybantsa on national TV
Must-see TV for all basketball fans across the country.
The top two picks in the draft pitted against one another on national TV for a matinee matchup of the ages. The first taste of Dybantsa versus Peterson left a lot to be desired. The second chance on Saturday, February 27, will have the chance to rectify that.
This game is also just one of two nationally broadcast games at Delta Center and the final one of the season for the Jazz.
