Utah Jazz's Top 3 Priorities During 2026 NBA Offseason

Another tanktastic campaign is finally, mercifully in the books for the Utah Jazz. And they're headed back to the lottery, hoping to land a foundational talent to add to Ace Bailey, Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Simply getting some good luck there may be as important as anything in this offseason, but it's not the only priority.

The top three can be found below.

3. Get Healthy

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This might seem like a bit of a cop-out, since getting healthy is something that should just happen naturally.

There's also at least some question about the severity of the various ailments that have sidelined much of Utah's rotation for much of the year.

The Jazz were among the teams intentionally angling for losses. Even if every injury listed over the course of the season was legit, it's fair to assume the recovery timelines were overly conservative.

Regardless, the next few months should be all about rest and recovery for at least three veterans, all of whom played fewer than 55 games and averaged over 19 points per game this season.

Presumably, if Utah gets mostly healthy campaigns from Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen Jr. and the still-developing Keyonte George, it should be, at the very least, competitive.

In the West, that may not translate to a guaranteed playoff spot, but the Jazz should at least have the talent to push for the play-in, especially if they sign Walker Kessler.

2. Re-Sign Walker Kessler

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Speak of the devil.

Kessler is about to enter restricted free agency as one of the most sought-after bigs on the market. Retaining him could be mighty expensive. But he's more than demonstrated his worth over the course of his rookie contract. And Utah will have the opportunity to match whatever offer sheet he signs.

Without him, and assuming JJJ and Markkanen are healthy, there's still a lot of depth in the front court. Kyle Filipowski has certainly shown some upside over the last couple of years.

But with him, the aforementioned play-in push feels a lot more likely.

Kessler is massive. He's one of the league's better rim protectors. And even as this team has tanked throughout the post-Rudy Gobert-and-Donovan Mitchell era, it at least had a chance when Kessler was on the floor.

During Kessler's four NBA seasons, Utah is plus-0.9 points per 100 possessions when both he and Markkanen are on the floor.

Keeping him would probably mean moving Markkanen to the 3. And there may be a bit of a reacquainting period there, but jumbo lineups with those two, JJJ, Ace Bailey and a guard could create some serious matchup problems for opponents.

1. Nail the Draft

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Despite ending up in the lottery after each season since trading Gobert and Mitchell, the Jazz have yet to land a single young player who looks like a surefire, cornerstone-level talent.

Bailey has looked closer to the part in recent weeks. Over his last 20 games, he averaged 19.1 points and 3.1 threes, while shooting 37.4 percent from deep. But that hot streak comes with the "everyone's tanking in March and April" caveat, and it's still fair to wonder how much value Bailey provides outside the scoring column.

George had a very interesting season, too, averaging 23.6 points and 6.1 assists. But he's undersized and struggles defensively.

The Jazz still don't have that one young prospect you can point to confidently say, "That guy is going to be a star." So, it's a good thing they have at least one more bite at the draft apple. If they don't wind up with the No. 1 pick, the 2026 class may give them the opportunity to land a franchise player anyway, with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson all having that kind of potential.

Taking the right one, whenever they're on the clock, is crucial.