3 Small Rotation Changes the Utah Jazz Should Make This Season

The Utah Jazz are looking to make a key turnaround this season in order to go from a team that's competing for a top pick in the lottery to one that'll be trying to make their way into the postseason picture.

And to do so, the Jazz are likely going to have to make a few subtle shifts to their rotation from last season to truly reach their ceiling to be a surprise team in the Western Conference. That's especially so after some of Utah's roster changes from this offseason, that now give a few aspects of this team a much different look from how things appeared this time last year.

With that in mind, let's take a look at three rotation decisions the Jazz should make ahead of the 2026-27 season, primarily surrounding the bench unit, to get this group to where they have the potential to be:

1. Bring Darryn Peterson Off the Bench to Begin Season

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the second pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson after he was selected by the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jazz have made it a routine of theirs when bringing in a new rookie to let them ride out the first few games on the bench. Ace Bailey did it last season for 10 games before being elevated to the starting five. Keyonte George started nine games before being elevated, then benched in his second year. When Walker Kessler was still in town, he didn't start his first game until December.

Will that trend change now that a second-overall pick is the new rookie in the building? There's certainly a case for it. But there's also a real case that Peterson's role could be best served as a sixth man, at lest to start the year as many first-year Jazz players have done before him.

Peterson can be a true leader of the second unit to contribute on both ends of the floor, and be an easy third guard to plug in with George and Isaiah Collier, even as someone who can close out games despite not being a starter.

We've seen around the league just last season how rookies coming off the bench can make a serious impact for teams deep in the postseason. Just look at second-overall pick Dylan Harper from last season. So even if Peterson's bench tenure were to last longer than that nine- to 10-game span that George and Bailey saw, it might not be the worst outcome imaginable.

2. Give Svi Mykhailiuk Less Minutes

Mar 28, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) moves the ball against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This isn't a knock on Mykhailiuk's play. If anything, Mykhailiuk was one of the Jazz's pleasant surprises all throughout last season as someone who would become a routine starter before the All-Star break, and he could be due for an established rotational role this season as well.

But following the Jazz's recent trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah has not one, but two new veterans in the fold from this offseason to compete with Mykhailiuk for minutes on the wing, and both of them are better defenders than him: Josh Okogie and Josh Green.

The Jazz are in desperate need of perimeter defenders. They've ranked in the bottom two of the NBA for defensive rating for the past three seasons. And while the presence of Jaren Jackson Jr. will help them not suffer the same result this season, Utah needs more contributions at guard and on the wing from players who directly compete for minutes with Mykhailiuk.

Last season, Mykhailiuk saw a career-high 23 minutes a game before he became a bench reserve following the All-Star break, mostly for the Jazz's tanking purposes. However, it'd be pretty surprising to see Mykhailiuk reach that same mark in minutes this season.

3. Give Brice Sensabaugh Less Minutes

Mar 28, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sensabaugh falls into a similar bucket as Mykhailiuk: someone who's coming off of a career-best season in 2025-26, will want to capitalize on that growth heading into this year, but now faces a lot of competition for players that fill his same role.

For Sensabaugh, someone who's known as a spark plug scorer, he's now on a roster that hosts several offensive threats outside of himself––which, for someone who comes off a year with a career-best 23.5 minutes and 14.5 points a game, that isn't the most ideal setup to top those numbers next year.

Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Jaren Jackson Jr. will all likely sit ahead of Sensabaugh when it comes to their scoring roles and numbers. And for someone like Sensabaugh on the bench as a wing directly competing with Okogie and Green, their defensive presence on the floor could take priority in some cases to Sensabaugh's scoring upside.

So it'll be an uphill battle for Sensabaugh to best what he did last season. But if he can overcome the odds to do so as a sixth or seventh man in the rotation, in a contract year, the benefits for Sensabaugh could be immense this coming offseason.

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