Projecting the Utah Jazz Starting Lineup & Rotation After NBA Draft

The Utah Jazz are now a couple of days removed from the 2026 NBA Draft, where they were able to land a cornerstone for the future of their franchise in second-overall pick Darryn Peterson.

Peterson's another talented piece to add into this already-strong starting five and overall rotation that the Jazz have put together over the past several months, and even years.

And even with tons of time to go before next season gets underway, this roster is already shaping up to be a whole lot better than any team Utah has seen since hitting the reset button to kickstart their rebuild four summers ago.

So while there still may be a good chunk of work still to be done–– through both free agency, and perhaps a few more trades to fill any holes around the edges–– let's break down how this Jazz starting five and rotation could be shaking out once arriving to opening night of the 2026-27 season:

What the Jazz's Depth Chart Could Look Like

There's still multiple pending free agent situations that the Jazz will have to iron out in the coming weeks before this depth chart is able to truly look close to the real thing.

But in this case, we'll move forward with the idea that all four of Utah's big free agents hitting the market–– Walker Kessler, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Elijah Harkless–– will all come back on new deals.

If that's the end outcome, here's how you could expect Utah's depth chart to unravel:

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Keyonte George	Ace Bailey	Lauri Markkanen	Jaren Jackson Jr.	Walker Kessler*
Isaiah Collier	Darryn Peterson	Brice Sensabaugh	Cody Williams	Jusuf Nurkic*
Elijah Harkless*	Svi Mykhailiuk	John Konchar	Kyle Filipowski	Kevin Love*

It's fair to take a deeper dive into what each position group has to offer. So let's sort through them all, one through five:

Point Guard

Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reacts after a three point basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

As impressive of a prospect that Peterson is, he won't be uprooting Keyonte George of his starting spot, at least any time soon.

Peterson probably will handle some primary ball-handling and lead guard duties throughout games for brief stretches, but Isaiah Collier will also be due for a solid role of doing just that in the second unit himself.

You also can't forget about Elijah Harkless, who's a free agent entering this offseason, but is someone the coaching staff values for his defensive presence, and his surrounding teammates love having around. So seeing him re-sign on a two-way or standard contract is wildly possible.

Shooting Guard

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 | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The debate between who starts between Peterson and Bailey might be a toss-up at this point. But Will Hardy hasn't started a rookie on day one of the season throughout his entire time commanding this rebuild.

Unless Peterson truly wows in summer league, preseason, and offseason workouts, that might not change–– even if he may elevate into that starting two-guard spot further into the season.

Svi Mykhailiuk might also get some run next year; he showed his value as a plug-and-play fit on the wing who can space the floor and be a reliable veteran to lean on.

Small Forward

Jan 28, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts after a play against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The setup at small forward feels pretty easy to project, at least on on paper.

Lauri Markkanen is an easy piece to slot in as the starter, Brice Sensabaugh can shift over to the three as a scoring complement with Peterson (or Bailey, if he's put into the second unit), and John Konchar can be a scrappy, defensive-minded wing who's thrown into the lineup in certain situations.

Power Forward

Feb 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) reacts against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Jazz have a lot to work with in their power forward spot. Of course, Jaren Jackson Jr. will be an easy bet to plug in as the starter, and could be a versatile enough fit to play at the three or the five in a few particular lineups.

As to who might get more minutes behind him between Cody Williams and Kyle Filipowski might depend on matchups.

Williams is clearly the more appealing fit defensively, and if he can continue to refine his shooting ability, his chances to get big minutes increase. Filipowski's fit is a bit trickier, but his offensive skillset next to the right supporting center could be hard for Hardy to keep off the floor.

Center

The Jazz have work to do for their center spot, considering none of the three currently projected to fill out the position are signed under contract for next season.

But if the Jazz decide to bring all three back–– and they very well could–– they'll be in good shape.

Walker Kessler can return to his post as the defensive-minded five Utah showed they desperately needed last season. Jusuf Nurkic can be a primary backup that offers nice rebounding, screening, and playmaking. And Kevin Love even played well in limited minutes last year if the Jazz need a five in a pinch. If not, he can just be a quality veteran to have in the locker room.

Bottom Line

This Jazz roster is certainly the most talented that Will Hardy's been able to coach since his arrival in 2022. And with a full mid-level exception to spend on the free agent market, combined with the front office's ability to make multiple trades between now and next season, this roster could get even better by the time he's back on the sidelines.

It's still a pretty young team, though. And perhaps more importantly, the projected five-man starting five hasn't played a single minute together in the regular season.

So throughout the course of what's going to be a vastly different-looking season than the last four, it might not be a totally seamless transition to competitiveness in the first few weeks.

Nonetheless, this 10-man rotation still looks more than capable of securing a postseason bid by the time April rolls around. That leaves tons of reason to be excited for what's ahead.

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