Insider: Utah Jazz Plan to Compete Next Season Regardless of Roster

Don't expect the Utah Jazz to be tanking again across the 2025-26 season.

According to The Athletic insider Tony Jones, team sources say the Jazz will try and win games next season, no matter what the roster looks like heading into the year.

"Team sources say, with whatever roster they have, the Jazz will try to win games next season," Jones wrote. "Whether the team is young and inexperienced, or whether the Jazz make impactful moves, there won’t be players sitting out chunks of games as we saw this past season, and they won’t be tanking.

Jones' report echoes the sentiment new Jazz president of operations, Austin Ainge, showcased during his opening presser upon landing the job in Utah: tanking won't be happening next year. A major shift from a team that finished last season winning a franchise-low 17 games and the worst record in the NBA.

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) tries to dribble away from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

However, it does leave fans with the major question of how exactly this Jazz roster gets to a point of being able to win games consistently throughout next season, especially within a Western Conference that's seemingly getting better and better with each passing year.

The Jazz do have the assets to improve the current state of the roster, whether it be through picks, trades, or the draft, so perhaps Jones' report and Ainge's confidence could be setting the stage for a major shakeup to take place on this roster in the coming weeks to better position this group to win games.

At the moment, those moves have yet to be made. And if the Jazz do decide to remain relatively conservative in their moves and roll into the coming year with the same roster to have a similar summer as they did last year, it would be pretty difficult to see this roster making the drastic shifts up the standings they're aspired to make.

Mar 17, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) and forward Lauri Markkanen (23) sit not he scorers table during the second quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

But, that's what the offseason's for, and with many weeks ahead for the Jazz to revamp this roster heading into the 2025-26 season, anything is possible for how this 15-man group could eventually transpire, especially with a new executive in Ainge now slated to run the ship.

It's an ambitious mindset for the Jazz and their new front office leadership. Let's see if it pans out for them.

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