Jazz Mailbag: How do Jazz stack up as talent evaluators?

Each of the top six teams that qualified for this year’s playoffs features a legitimate NBA superstar, and that list does not include teams like the Los Angeles Clippers or Golden State Warriors, whose rosters still feature aging stars of their own.

Without a true superstar on the roster, the Jazz must earn their spot through a more egalitarian team approach while hoping one or more young players can grow into that upper tier of NBA talent.

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at how the Jazz have performed in talent acquisition since beginning their rebuild.

Key acquisitions

The Jazz began dismantling the roster in the summer of 2022, trading nearly every starter for a mix of young players and future draft picks. They largely committed to that approach until this past February, when they made a clear win-now move by acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr.

Below are the most notable players the Jazz have brought in during the rebuild, excluding salary-filler players.

Via trade

Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji

When evaluating the younger players acquired via trade — excluding an incomplete grade on Jaren Jackson Jr. — the Jazz have performed reasonably well, even after sending out two future Hall of Famers in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Walker Kessler is on the verge of signing a nine-figure extension and has established himself as one of the NBA’s better young starting centers. At the same time, Lauri Markkanen has developed into an All-Star-caliber player and a foundational piece for the franchise.

Some really nice moments from Walker Kessler last night when switched on to Luka & Kyrie on back-to-back possessions: pic.twitter.com/Y5kVVUGw93

— Eric Spyropoulos (@EricSpyroNBA) October 29, 2024

Individually, neither player matches the peak talent of the stars the Jazz traded away, but when factoring in the massive haul of draft assets acquired in those deals, the returns remain strong.

Collin Sexton was another major piece in the Mitchell trade. While talented, he has yet to find consistent traction in a defined NBA role and can fairly be viewed as a miss for the Jazz.

Ochai Agbaji was not drafted by Utah but arrived as one of the few young assets Cleveland could offer in the Mitchell blockbuster. The Jazz correctly identified Agbaji as a borderline NBA player and later moved him, along with Kelly Olynyk, for a first-round pick — a decision that proved wise.

Drafts

2023: Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh
2024: Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski
2025: Ace Bailey, Walt Clayton Jr., John Tonje

The draft remains the area where front offices receive the harshest evaluations, and it is where the Jazz have produced both clear successes and several notable shortcomings.

Below is a pick-by-pick look at whom the Jazz selected and which nearby alternatives may have been stronger options.

Selected: Taylor Hendricks
Should have drafted: Cason Wallace

Hendricks was a consensus top-10 pick across most projections, and the Jazz prioritized size over a guard with their first selection.

Cason Wallace has since grown into an ideal role player on a championship-level team, though he may have been overextended if asked to anchor a rebuilding roster. Even so, the Jazz likely could have done better with the pick.

Selected: Keyonte George
Should have drafted: Keyonte George

To date, George stands as the crown jewel of the Jazz’s recent draft history, dramatically outperforming his No. 16 draft slot.

Been a little curious how Keyonte George would play late in the season without some of the traditional starters in the lineup, namely Lauri Markkanen.

He’s 6-9 for 14 points in the first half.

Seems to be doing fine. pic.twitter.com/GQa31yiinH

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 3, 2026

Although players selected after him — including Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandin Podziemski — have thrived, George has developed into a borderline All-Star.

He has a legitimate argument as the fourth-best player from his draft class, trailing only Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Amen Thompson.

Selected: Brice Sensabaugh
Should have drafted: Brice Sensabaugh

While Sensabaugh has not matched George’s immediate impact, no player selected after him in 2023 stands out as a clear miss for Utah.

Jazz Mailbag: What does the team need to add this summer?

GG Jackson might develop into a better player, but he remains a work in progress and has been less productive on the court than Sensabaugh to this point.

Selected: Cody Williams
Should have drafted: Matas Buzelis

It is still early in Williams’ career, but several players drafted after him have already been more productive.

The Jazz selected Williams with the No. 10 pick and allowed fellow wing Matas Buzelis to fall to Chicago one spot later. Buzelis is not a star, but he has developed into a solid contributor with notable upside, while Williams remains more developmental.

Selected: Isaiah Collier
Should have drafted: Jaylen Wells

Collier is far from a miss and appears poised for a lengthy NBA career.

However, Jaylen Wells has already established himself as a reliable 3-and-D guard in a league increasingly desperate for two-way contributors. Collier was a good pick, but not a clear home run.

Selected: Kyle Filipowski
Should have drafted: Kyle Filipowski

Ajay Mitchell merits consideration here after carving out a strong rotation role in Oklahoma City. Still, Filipowski’s size, age and upside give him a slight edge.

The Duke big man has significantly outperformed his second-round draft position and stands out as one of the best value selections of the Danny Ainge/Justin Zanik era.

Selected: Ace Bailey
Should have drafted: Ace Bailey

This assessment could change, but Bailey showed enough as a rookie to justify the pick.

Several players from the 2025 class may ultimately surpass him, but no obvious miss has emerged after just one season.

Selected: Walt Clayton Jr.
Should have drafted: Will Riley, Maxime Reynaud

Including Clayton here was debatable, as the Jazz would have gladly included any player selected 19 or later in the 2025 draft in the Jackson Jr trade.

Still, Will Riley is younger, bigger and was more productive as a rookie, despite being taken with the lower pick that Utah used to trade up for Clayton. Maxime Reynaud, a second-round selection, is also on a better early career track.

Selected: John Tonje
Should have drafted: Caleb Love

Tonje was a reasonable late second-round choice as an older, highly productive college player.

In hindsight, undrafted guard Caleb Love delivered a far stronger rookie campaign, even with his offensive inefficiencies. It is difficult to be overly critical of the No. 53 pick, but Tonje never moved the needle.

Between trades and drafts, the Jazz have succeeded in acquiring Kessler, Markkanen, George, Sensabaugh, Collier, Filipowski and Bailey, all of whom have met or exceeded expectations.

On the other side, Utah failed to maximize value with Sexton, Hendricks, Williams and Clayton Jr.

Some teams — most notably Memphis and Oklahoma City — have outperformed the Jazz in drafting over the last four years. Still, far more teams have fared worse.

Conversely, few franchises have maximized talent acquisition during a teardown as effectively as the Jazz.

Overall, Utah’s reconstruction has been successful, anchored by solid talent evaluation, even if it has not reached the top tier of the league.

That verdict could still shift based on the development of Williams, Bailey and this year’s lottery pick, but Jazz fans should feel confident the franchise remains in capable hands.