Jazz Insider Floats New Lineup Possibility For 2023-24

The Utah Jazz have brought in some new faces for the 2023-24-season through free agency, trade, and the draft. With training camp now less than two months away, Jazz fans should feel good about the changes, but does that mean CEO Danny Ainge is done making moves before opening night?

According to Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah is most likely done making moves this offseason. Larsen gave his take on ESPN 700 The Drive with Spence Checketts.

“I think it’s more likely that this is the group,” Larsen said. “I think there’s a couple of different reasons why the [Damian] Lillard and [James] Harden trades are taken as long as they are and frankly may not happen by the end of training camp.”

If this is the case, head coach Will Hardy will have some difficult decisions on what players make the rotation and which ones will be on the outside looking in when the season gets underway. The position that has Jazz fans wondering is the point guard position.

Utah currently has five players that will be competing for minutes. Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kris Dunn, and Keyonte George are plausible options that could win the day-one starting job.

Which players have the edge as we head into camp? Larsen shared his thoughts on two different possibilities.

“I think my preference would be to start Collin Sexton because he actually really did have a good season last year when he was able to play, especially from an efficiency point of view," Larsen said. "You look at his numbers when he and Lauri Markkanen shared the court, the Jazz were +4 per 100 possessions. I think that would be my preference. I also think the Jazz aren’t going to do that."

Sexton is a proven commodity on the offensive end, but the concern with the second-year Jazzman is what he offers on defense. Aligning Sexton’s minutes with the opponent's best offensive players may not be the best strategy in an era where positional size matters in today's league. Sexton's defensive rating was 120.3 in 2022-23, which ranked second to last on the team.

Although Larsen feels Sexton should be option No. 1, he pivoted to what he thinks the Jazz may do.

“There’s a real possibility that they go no point guard in Jordan Clarkson at the number one and Ochai Abaji at the two,” Larsen said. “I think that does make some sense.”

This may be the case with Utah going all-in on Clarkson with a three-year, $55 million contract. However, Clarkson offers the same concerns on defense that Sexton does.

Both players are high-energy shot-creators that can keep the ball going through the hoop when the starters are resting. It'll be interesting to see whether Utah emphasizes offense or defense when selecting its starting backcourt. Either way, the chances of Clarkson and Sexton starting together are slim. It most likely will be one or the other.

Jazz fans will get a clearer picture of how the situation unfolds when the NBA preseason begins on October 5.

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