Five Questions Ahead Of Utah Jazz Media Day 2025
Sep 26, 2025, 2:25 PM | Updated: 4:02 pm
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3)(Credit: Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Credit: Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz media day is on Monday, signaling the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season.
With players and coaches taking the podium to discuss their summers and what they hope to accomplish this season, here are the five biggest questions that need to be answered at Jazz media day.
Related: Kevin Love Expected To Be At Jazz Media Day
Utah Jazz media day starts at 8 AM on Monday.
It will be streamed on the @utahjazz YouTube page or Jazz+.
We will have live coverage on the @KSLSportsZone 97.5 FM and 1280 AM.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) September 26, 2025
Five Biggest Questions For Utah Jazz Media Day
1. Can Keyonte George Become The Face At Point Guard?
Since trading Mike Conley at the 2023 trade deadline, the Jazz have not found consistent production at point guard.
Both Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier have shown flashes in the role, but neither should feel confident that they are owed the starting job on opening night.
Big shot from Keyonte George. pic.twitter.com/tiJhxck20r
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) February 7, 2024
Rumblings dating back as far as June indicate George has had a stellar summer, and could be poised to make a leap in his third year in the NBA.
If he does, the guard is talented enough to be a legitimate building block within the team’s young core. If not, the Jazz will audition both Collier and rookie Walt Clayton Jr. in the role.
Regardless, if the Jazz can exit the 2025-26 season with an understanding of who their point guard of the future will be, it would be a major step in exiting the rebuild.
2. Will All-Star Lauri Markkanen Return?
Lauri Markkanen’s 2024-25 campaign was a step in the wrong direction after lacing together back-to-back impressive seasons to begin his Jazz career.
The former All-Star averaged just 19.0 points while shooting a substandard 42 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three, a far cry from the deadeye marksman he’d proved to be since moving to Utah in 2022.
43 points… in 23 minutes 😱
Lauri Markkanen’s second-career 40-point @EuroBasket performance powered Finland to a W! pic.twitter.com/ZAVCiRKYKq
— NBA (@NBA) August 29, 2025
Markkanen’s incredible performance at EuroBasket was a reminder of how dominant the Finnish big man can be when he’s on his game, and should provide hope that last year’s downturn was an anomaly.
Whether they hope to trade him for more assets or want to build around him as the face of the franchise, the Jazz need Markkanen to play better than he did last season.
3. Where Is Taylor Hendricks In His Rehab?
Taylor Hendricks has been cleared to return to the court for the Jazz after last year’s devastating leg injury.
But where is he emotionally?
With a healthy campaign in 2024-25, Hendricks could have singlehandedly provided enough excitement for the season to have felt successful.
Cool to see Taylor Hendricks back playing threes less than a year since his injury. pic.twitter.com/iJsk1zGZhj
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) July 26, 2025
Instead, the injury felt like a harbinger for what proved to be a miserable seven months of basketball.
Fans should be prepared for the Jazz to slowplay Hendricks’ return, understanding the mental and physical hurdles he still has to overcome.
However, his return to the floor will be a morale boost for the entire roster.
4. Will The Real Year Two Players Please Stand Up?
Isaiah Collier earned the biggest role on the roster among last year’s rookies, only to follow it up with a decidedly underwhelming summer league show.
Kyle Filipowski was probably the team’s most consistent rookie and used that experience as a springboard to the MVP trophy in Las Vegas.
Cody Williams, the Jazz’s 2024 lottery pick, had one of the worst rookie seasons in NBA history, but showed glimpses of improvement in his play throughout the summer.
WHAT A PERFORMANCE FROM UTAH’S KYLE FILIPOWSKI 🙌
35 PTS
11 REB
5 3PM
11-19 FGM pic.twitter.com/j60UyN0lvg— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2025
So who are these guys, actually?
Collier’s floor general skills should look better alongside more experienced teammates, but where is his shooting?
Is Filipowski ready to command a starting spot to open the season?
How does Williams’ body look, and can he better handle the rigors of an NBA season?
It’s unlikely that all three sophomores will be long-term fixtures in Utah, but if even one can emerge as a potential cornerstone, they can be a significant piece of the puzzle.
5. Can Ace Bailey Live Up To The Hype?
One potential upside to former manager Omar Cooper’s misrepresentation of Ace Bailey during the predraft process is that it has lowered the expectations for the wing’s rookie season.
Though the Jazz desperately need a star to emerge in their rebuild, Bailey’s spotlight won’t be quite as bright as it may have been for other franchises drafting in the top eight picks.
Make no mistake, the Rutgers product has the highest chance to become the Jazz’s next superstar, but with a litany of young players on the roster, he doesn’t have to carry a huge load from day one.
Ace Bailey’s rebounding was maybe the most underappreciated part of his game during the pre-draft process.
This is excellent tracking, in addition to his unique physical tools. pic.twitter.com/7TeEk8JEK7
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) July 8, 2025
The best-case scenario for the Jazz is that Bailey reminds everyone in the NBA why he was a consensus top-three pick throughout his freshman season, and does so early in the year.
The coaching staff will give him that opportunity, but won’t overload him if he isn’t ready to carry that burden.
Jazz media day will begin on Monday at 8 AM. Fans can listen to live coverage on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM the KSL Sports Zone.
The team will also stream the interviews on its YouTube page and Jazz+.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports 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.
