Jazz Mailbag: Who is being overlooked on the roster?
Aug 4, 2026, 12:13 PM | Updated: 12:21 pm
Welcome to the Utah Jazz Mailbag! This week, we look at which Jazz players are being overlooked on the 2026-27 roster.
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: Which players are being overlooked?
Consult your crystal ball:
Who are your 2 favorite candidates on the roster for, “Overlooked, but critical piece of Jazz making the playoffs.” Gotta be guys playing over 15 minutes a night.
Candidates:
1. Josh Okogie
2. Jaxson Hayes
3. Svi Mykhailiuk
4. Collier
5. Flip
Other— Brian Maxwell (@TheBMax) August 3, 2026
Question: Who are your two favorite candidates on the roster for “Overlooked, but critical piece of Jazz making the playoffs” among guys playing over 15 minutes a night?
Answer: With the fan base focused on the Jazz’s starting five, plus whichever player between Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson comes off the bench, the team’s second unit may be getting overlooked ahead of the upcoming season.
That could be a mistake, as the depth might be the Jazz’s greatest strength entering the campaign.
Even after the surprising departure of Walker Kessler, the Jazz have a relatively settled frontcourt, featuring All-Star caliber talent in Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., along with proven rotational bigs Jusuf Nurkic, Jaxson Hayes, and Kyle Filipowski.
The team’s biggest questions remain in the backcourt due to a combination of inexperience and inconsistency, despite a long list of intriguing options.
Keyonte George is expected to open the season as the Jazz’s starting point guard, though he could alternate between on-ball and off-ball responsibilities alongside the rookie Peterson.
WHAT A NIGHT FOR KEYONTE GEORGE.
🎶 43 PTS (career-high)
🎶 6 3PMUtah completes the 15-PT comeback to win at home! pic.twitter.com/zECzxkiyC5
— NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2026
Bailey is too talented to keep off the floor, but he could spend more time on the wing than he did during his first season in Utah, which may be his more natural long-term position.
Brice Sensabaugh undoubtedly has talent, but he likely needs to defend more and turn the ball over less to secure a consistent role in Will Hardy’s rotation.
Josh Okogie has built a reputation as the type of perimeter defender the Jazz need and could emerge as one of the roster’s most overlooked pieces if the improved 3-point shooting he displayed last season carries over to Salt Lake City.
Veteran John Konchar also has repeatedly earned rotation minutes throughout his career. His jack-of-all-trades skill set could make him a valuable plug-and-play option wherever the Jazz need stability, though his struggles as a 3-point shooter could limit his role with the second unit.
That leaves Isaiah Collier and Svi Mykhailiuk as two potentially overlooked names entering October’s training camp.
Collier is the Jazz’s best pure playmaker and something of a throwback floor general compared with many modern guards. He should enter the season penciled in as the team’s backup point guard.
Isaiah Collier becomes the youngest player to record 20+ AST in NBA history 🚨
17 PTS
22 AST (career-high)
UTA WOnly John Stockton has recorded more AST in a game for the @utahjazz! pic.twitter.com/NBba8j78iw
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2026
As a sophomore, Collier averaged an impressive 7.2 assists against just 2.5 turnovers per game while improving his shooting percentages across the board. However, his 3-point shooting still may not be strong enough to solidify him as a long-term fixture if competition for minutes intensifies.
If Peterson proves capable of running the Jazz’s offense with the second unit while providing better shooting and defensive playmaking, Collier could find himself on the fringes of the rotation.
If Collier continues to improve as a shooter, however, he could become one of the league’s better young sixth men. That would allow Peterson, Bailey, and Sensabaugh to focus on developing as second-unit scorers while easing their burden as decision-makers.
Mykhailiuk may be a surprising inclusion on this list, but the veteran impressed in limited opportunities last season.
Svi Mykhailiuk with the handles and wild finish!
Now up to a career-high 27 points 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RErnSRZkyh
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2025
The 29-year-old posted an outstanding .613 effective field goal percentage, the highest mark among the team’s rotation regulars. That efficiency is a figure typically reserved for centers whose scoring comes almost exclusively at the rim.
Mykhailiuk shot 40 percent from 3-point range on nearly five attempts per game and routinely earned praise from the Jazz coaching staff for his defensive effort despite an inconsistent role.
He was so effective that the organization sat him for all but two of the final 21 games for fear that too many wins could damage the team’s lottery odds.
With only one year remaining on his current contract, Mykhailiuk is not guaranteed a spot in the opening-night rotation. Still, his reliable shooting, high-effort defense and understanding of the offense could help him earn minutes, even over some younger players, as the Jazz begin placing a higher value on winning than on player development.
Ultimately, the rotation may not produce many surprises. But with a crowded backcourt and limited second-unit minutes available, Collier and Mykhailiuk could play critical roles in the Jazz’s pursuit of a postseason berth.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 2-6pm with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
