Five Utah Jazz Players Headed for Less Minutes After All-Star Break

The Utah Jazz have just 26 games left in their 2025-26 season following the All-Star break before embarking on an exciting offseason ahead.

And in those games that remain on the Jazz's regular calendar, the motivation will be clear: continue to develop young talent, and do what it takes to retain their top-eight protected pick at risk of being claimed by the OKC Thunder.

With that in mind, there's bound to be some big rotation changes of note. Some guys will be bound to get more opportunity compared to the first half of the year, while others may be trending towards spending a bit further time on the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr.'s potential season-ending injury only adds to that rotational turnover set to take place.

We've already broken down that handful who may see an expanded role for the rest of the season earlier this week. But as their minutes increase, there's bound to be other names on the roster seeing their own opportunity dip as a result.

Who exactly could that be? Here's a group of five players on the Jazz roster who are almost certain to see fewer minutes in their post-All-Star stretch.

1. Jusuf Nurkic

Jan 28, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (30) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The trend of sitting Nurkic out of the Jazz's lineup had already begun to ramp up before hitting the All-Star break, as the veteran big man has only played half of Utah's games within the 2026 calendar year due to rest or injury/illness. And that's bound to continue the further we get into the season.

Nurkic has been better than the Jazz had expected coming into this year after averaging a double-double worth 10.9 rebounds and 10.4 assists, while also averaging a career-high 4.8 assists a night in the process.

But in Utah's efforts to boost their draft stock this summer, the veteran has essentially played too well in order to get minutes down the final stretch of the year. It may not even be surprising to see Nurkic sit out in more games than he plays in the last 26 games of the regular season, despite his career renaissance in Salt Lake City.

2. Lauri Markkanen

Feb 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Another member of the Jazz's frontcourt having a career-year this season, Markkanen is also bound to see a decrease in minutes following the All-Star break for the same reasons as Nurkic.

The Jazz were notably dinged by the masses for their decision to rest Markkanen in the fourth quarter of their past five games. But even when factoring in their $500K fine handed down from the league, that still might not be enough for Utah to change up their strategy in an effort to boost their odds for later this offseason.

Whether it be resting in games entirely or sitting to finish out fourth quarters, the Jazz will most definitely be decreasing Markkanen's workload over the final 26 games of the year.

3. Keyonte George

Jan 22, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

Are you noticing a pattern yet?

The reality is, if you're a player that's helping the Jazz exceed expectations this season, and ultimately win more games than necessary, the team is probably going to rest you a bit more often in the final few weeks of the year. That won't even stop at their third-year breakout star, Keyonte George, who's inspired some real confidence for what his future holds moving forward.

George has missed six of the past seven games due to a pair of ankle sprains, but may finally be ready to go following the All-Star break. But even if he's deemed healthy, the NBA's Player Participation Policy won't prevent the Jazz from resting George— a zero-time All-Star— as the regular season progresses.

Don't be shocked if that winds up being the situation for George and the Jazz, especially as we hit late March and early April.

4. Svi Mykhailiuk

Jan 20, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

One of the unsung heroes of the Jazz's season thus far, Svi Mykhailiuk has been an underrated but key component of Will Hardy's lineup throughout the year––having started in 41 of their 56 total games, and has really begun to find his groove within Utah's offensive system. He's averaging over 23 minutes a night, and shooting nearly 40% from three in the process (39.7%).

However, his role in the rotation has become a bit more sporadic as of late. Mykhailiuk has been a DNP in nine of the Jazz's 24 games throughout 2026, and he hasn't started a game in Utah's backcourt since the end of January.

Mykhailuk won't totally disappear from the rotation, and he might've even done enough throughout the course of the year to cement a long-term spot on the Jazz's roster past this season. But in Utah's efforts to grow and develop their young talent in the final few weeks, that may create a dip in the veterans’ playing time.

5. Kevin Love

Feb 7, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (42) shoots a three point basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

In what's now Love's 18th-season pro, the veteran big man has turned out to be a decent piece as a backup five in the Jazz's rotation when given some PT. He's averaging 7.0 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 36.3% from three in just over 17 minutes a night.

But entering the new year, Love hasn't played quite as much for the Jazz as he was during the first half of the season. He's appeared in 41% of Utah's games within the 2026 calendar year compared to the 63% he did in 2025, and while a few of those were due to illness, there's a clear effort from the coaching staff to get young players more involved donw the stretch, and also giving their veteran big some rest.

Expect that to continue in the weeks that remain of the regular season, but Love will still be a quality veteran voice to have on the sidelines regardless.