Three Utah Jazz Players Fighting to Stay on Next Year's Roster

The Utah Jazz's starting five and overall rotation for next season's roster is gradually becoming clearer following their blockbuster splash for Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline.

Keyonte George and Ace Bailey are set to command the backcourt, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler will man the starting frontcourt, and a mix of young contributors and veterans will fill out the bench to make for a quality rotation that can start to really make noise in the rest.

But in that second unit and down the bench, there's a lot for the Jazz that remains up in the air and undecided as to who will be the ones that fill out the group. That inevitably makes the last 26 games of Utah's season following the All-Star break noticeably impactful when deciding between those who might be on the edge to make that final cut.

With that in mind, here's a batch of three players on the Jazz's roster who will be fighting to keep their spot on next year's team in the final few weeks of the season.

1. John Konchar

Feb 7, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward John Konchar (55) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

John Konchar was one of the few moving pieces involved in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade that came into Utah alongside the two-time All-Star, and will now have a 26-game slate after the All-Star break following his first four games with the Jazz to audition for next year's roster.

So far, Konchar has been limited to 2.3 points per game in his Jazz tenure despite playing in over 15 minutes a night in all four of his appearances. He's signed onto a $6.2 million deal for next season that keeps him on the roster financially for next season, but it's a wildly tradeable contract that could certainly be moved for a front office overseen by an avid dealer like Danny Ainge.

That makes the final 26 games of this season super important for Konchar to capitalize on if he wants to cement some staying power on next year's roster.

2. Kyle Filipowski

Feb 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) and guard Kasparas Jakucionis (25) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Kyle Filipowski is entering a critical post-All-Star stretch.

Without Jaren Jackson Jr. on the floor due to his season-ending knee surgery, and Lauri Markkanen bound to miss a few fourth quarters and games in the final few weeks with the Jazz eyeing the lottery, it leaves a window wide open for Filipowski to get heavy minutes and multiple starts to prove that he's worthy of remaining on next year's roster.

So far this season, Filipowski's shot worse from the field (50.2/48.3%) and from three (35.0/33.3%) than he did in his rookie season, has averaged just one more minute per game (22.1/22.1) than he did in year one, and hasn't made the aspired sophomore jump that he was projected to have heading into this season coming off a Summer League MVP.

If there was ever a time for Filipowski to flip the switch, now would be it.

3. Oscar Tshiebwe

Feb 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) boxes out Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

This could very well be Oscar Tshiebwe's final season on the Jazz based on the contractual rules surrounding two-way NBA contracts.

An NBA player can only be signed to a two-way contract for the first three years of their career before they're deemed ineligible to sign another. That puts Tshiebwe, currently in his third-year pro on his third two-way contract, on track to lose his spot on the Jazz's roster for next season if unable to play well enough for a traditional contract.

Tshiebwe has played in two of the Jazz's past five games for a total of less than 15 minutes, so there hasn't been quite enough opportunity on the table for Tshiebwe to get real NBA minutes, but that could certainly change in the final few weeks of the season as the Jazz will look to maximize their draft lottery odds for this summer.

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