Jazz Mailbag: How many open rotation spots are there?
Sep 1, 2026, 12:05 PM | Updated: 12:28 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz Mailbag! This week, we look at how many rotation spots remain open on the 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: How many spots are open in the rotation?
The Jazz roster has changed a bit since we last tried to do this. Give us your current 9-man rotation. Who is out when everyone is healthy?
How many of those people who are out of the rotation do the Jazz want to keep?
— Jake The Lynx (@JakePenrod) August 31, 2026
Question: Give us your current 9-man rotation. Who is out when everyone is healthy? How many of those people who are out of the rotation do the Jazz want to keep?
Answer: Before we start, it’s important to note that the current Jazz coaching staff appears to prefer a 10-man rotation, but, because the team has not prioritized maximizing its win total over the past four years, identifying traditional rotation patterns remains an inexact science.
With that in mind, let’s start by identifying the players I believe are locks to be in the rotation on opening night, assuming everyone is healthy.
- Keyonte George
- Lauri Markkanen
- Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Jusuf Nurkic
- Ace Bailey
- Darryn Peterson
- Jaxson Hayes
In truth, those seven players could account for the entire rotation if necessary. George and Peterson can handle point guard responsibilities, Peterson and Bailey can split minutes at shooting guard, while Bailey and Markkanen can cover the small forward position. From there, Markkanen, Jackson Jr., Nurkic, and Hayes can absorb the remaining frontcourt minutes.
However, that’s only seven players, leaving three openings in the hypothetical 10-man rotation.
Kyle Filipowski appears to be the strongest candidate among the remaining players to claim one of those spots, due to his unique skill set and proven production.
Yeesh Kyle Filipowski with the poster on Alex Len. #takenote (@AlexSpyropoul)pic.twitter.com/aijISibVxb
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 17, 2024
At 6-foot-11, Filipowski offers some floor-spacing ability and a willingness to keep the ball moving. That combination should make him the fifth big man in the Jazz rotation.
From there, I’d expect Isaiah Collier to earn most of the backup point guard minutes based on his experience in that role over the last two seasons.
Like Filipowski, Collier’s long-term ceiling remains unclear, and there are scenarios in which he is not part of the opening-night rotation, but it seems more likely than not that he’ll see the floor early in the season, albeit having to compete for those minutes throughout the year.
In this scenario, only one rotation spot would remain, with several players competing for the job.
Brice Sensabaugh has been a regular part of the Jazz rotation during the past two seasons and is the most accomplished scorer in this group. Still, he will need to become more consistent on both ends of the floor to secure a full-time role.
Brice Sensabaugh 20 points on 7/13 pic.twitter.com/6Gzvj869Zv
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) October 23, 2025
Josh Okogie brings the most established résumé among the Jazz’s second-unit players competing for minutes, but he has historically been the weakest shooter in the group.
Svi Mykhailiuk offers the best blend of familiarity, shooting, and defense, but he has never fully secured a role with the team.
Josh Green possesses many of the traits teams look for in a 3-and-D guard, but he has yet to establish himself in a meaningful long-term role on an NBA roster and is the newest addition to the Jazz.
Because the second unit lacks overall experience, my early pick to earn consistent minutes is Okogie. His veteran understanding of his role gives him an edge, although winning the job outright will not be easy.
Mykhailiuk may ultimately be the best all-around option when weighing every factor, while Green and Sensabaugh offer the most upside.
Regardless of how the rotation looks on opening night, I expect all 13 of these players to see the floor at various points throughout the season as Hardy continues to adjust and refine his rotation, and the battles are far from finalized.
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Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 2-6 pm with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram at @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
