Following a first-round playoff exit, it was clear the Utah Jazz were headed for an offseason of change. What does the team look like currently with training camp around the corner?
The Jazz have had the most eventful offseason out of any team in the NBA. The blockbuster trades have captured the nation’s attention, but the main focus has not been on what Utah has gained from them. The focus has instead been on what Donovan Mitchell can do for the Cavaliers, or what Rudy Gobert can bring to the Timberwolves. These star players that Utah has decided to move on from rightfully capture the attention of the media and fans of the NBA, but what exactly have the Jazz garnered from these trades?
The trades that the organization made now point the team in the direction of a rebuild. The assets that they gained will be pivotal in whether or not this rebuild will be successful. Led by a new head coach, what kind of players and assets do the Jazz currently have?
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Current Roster
As of Sep. 14, 2022, the Utah Jazz have added the following players during the offseason before the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season:
- Ochai Agbaji – 14th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (via trade with Cavaliers)
- Malik Beasley – Acquired via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves
- Leandro Bolmaro – Acquired via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves
- Simone Fontecchio – Signed after playing in Liga ACB (Spain)
- Talen Horton-Tucker – Acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Lakers
- Stanley Johnson – Acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Lakers
- Johnny Juzang – Signed to a two-way contract after going undrafted in 2022
- Walker Kessler – 22nd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (via trade with Timberwolves)
- Lauri Markkanen – Acquired via trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Collin Sexton – Acquired via trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Jarred Vanderbilt – Acquired via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves
Obviously, there are a lot of new faces that will be taking the court for the Jazz this season. The team does still have some familiar faces that will be joining the newcomers. Those players – as of right now – are Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Udoka Azubuike, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jared Butler, Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Xavier Sneed, and Hassan Whiteside.
Draft picks
When moving all-star caliber players, a team typically looks for a plethora of draft picks in return. This is absolutely the case for Utah and team president Danny Ainge. In both the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades, the team has acquired a haul of draft picks as a very important part of the strategy for rebuilding the organization. Draft picks can have high value depending on their positioning, and the Jazz will try to use that to their advantage. Whether the team decides to select a player with the pick or trade it for other assets, these draft picks will be key in building a winning roster in Utah. Here is a list of all the draft picks that the Jazz currently hold:
- Three picks in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft
- Three picks in the 2025 NBA Draft (two first, one second)
- Four picks in the 2026 NBA Draft (two first, two second)
- Two picks in the first round of the 2027 NBA Draft
- One pick in the first round of the 2028 NBA Draft
- Two picks in the first round of the 2029 NBA Draft
- One pick in the second round of the 2029 NBA Draft
Altogether, the Jazz have 16 draft picks from the time period of 2023-2029. The use of these draft picks will be vital in the reconstruction of the team, although it is difficult to see what type of value they hold currently.
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New head coach
With all the movement that Utah has made during the offseason, the hiring of head coach Will Hardy has been swept under the rug. Let’s talk briefly about who he is and why the Jazz have decided to hire him.
Hardy is coming from Boston, where he was an assistant coach during the 2021-22 season. The Celtics were a successful team last season with Hardy as part of the coaching staff, reaching the NBA Finals. He makes the move from Boston with Danny Ainge, who was the president of basketball operations for the Celtics and is now a team executive in Utah. He will be the youngest head coach in the NBA at the start of the 2022-23 season, which bodes well for the Jazz having one of the league’s youngest rosters. The team trusts Hardy to lead Utah during this time of great change and uncertainty, and time will tell if they made the right decision.
Final thoughts
The 2022 Utah Jazz will look very different from the prior year’s version of the team. Not only will the rebrand and new uniforms be a change for Jazz fans to get used to, but the players that take the court will be very different from the faces fans have grown accustomed to seeing. Being one of the youngest teams in the league may make things difficult for the team to try and win a lot of games during the upcoming season. However, the fresh faces and new look could be exactly what the team needs moving into the future.
The time ahead is very uncertain in Utah, so fans can only hope that the front office is making the correct decisions and that they continue to do so.
The Jazz begin the preseason on Sunday, Oct. 2, facing the Toronto Raptors at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The game will tip off at 4 p.m. MT.
