Ranking Most Disappointing Players on the Utah Jazz This Season

The Utah Jazz, even in a 22-win season like they're fresh off of enduring, had several positive moments and takeaways across the past several months to help inspire some refreshing confidence for what's ahead for this budding roster.

But of course, in a season where the Jazz finished with the second-lowest win total in franchise history, there's certainly a few disappointments that transpired across the year as well.

Let's break down three players who had some of the most disappointing seasons in a roster where there was a ton of growth to be had across the board:

3. Walker Kessler

Oct 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) and center Walker Kessler (24) react to a play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Kessler's season was disappointing for reasons outside of what he did on the court, but because the time he spent on the court was so short.

After just five games thatwhich Kessler showed real strides as a playmaker and a shooter in addition to his already-strong defense, the Jazz big man would be sidelined for the season for surgery on a torn labrum, leaving him forced to rehab instead of boosting any earnings on his upcoming contract.

Heading into next season, which will likely be with the Jazz after signing a new deal in restricted free agency, Kessler should be back to 100%, and could be both refreshed and motivated to re-establish himself as one of the better young rim protectors in the NBA.

2. Kyle Filipowski

Apr 7, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) reacts to a play against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Coming off a stellar offseason in which he walked away as the Summer League MVP, Kyle Filipowski entered the season with high hopes for what his sophomore campaign could look like, and had a ton of opportunity in the second half of the year to really cement himself as a core piece of the Jazz's future.

Filipowski didn't play poorly. He took steps forward in his individual defense, and saw jumps in a handful of counting stats as well. But he didn't really take that year-two leap that his summer showings had hinted could be in store.

Filipowski's efficiency went down across the board. He failed to score 30 points in any game across the season, and in a year where the Jazz were looking for late-season risers while several key names were out, it felt for someone as versatile and talented as Filipowski, he still left more on the table.

In year three, Filipowski's role will be extensively more limited while Markkanen, Jackson, and Kessler are all healthy, and the Jazz start gunning for postseason positioning.

Those three probably aren't going anywhere anytime soon either. So there's a small chance he might've missed his best chance of truly breaking out with the Jazz into his true ceiling.

1. Taylor Hendricks

Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks (0) reacts after a play against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Sure, Taylor Hendricks might not be on the team anymore. And since being traded at the deadline, he's had a good chunk of positive performances.

But across the stretch of the entire season––and in the time he was with the Jazz in the first half of the season––Hendricks feels like an easy pick for Utah's biggest disappointment.

Coming off as devastating of an injury that Hendricks did, it was always going to take some time for the Jazz's top-10 pick from 2023 to not just return to the level he was pre-injury, but also to take a step forward in his development as the two-way forward he was drafted to be.

And in the 33 games he appeared for Utah this season, he just wasn't able to show the necessary strides to cement himself as a long-term piece of the puzzle.

He averaged less than five points a night, shot under 35% from three, and having spent nearly a year away from basketball, saw his defensive skillset take a step back as well.

The Jazz ended up cashing by packaging him with Walter Clayton Jr. and a few other assets to add Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies at the deadline. And since then, Hendricks has actually been a pleasant surprise on Beale Street, having taken a jump in virtually every major stat category.

So while it's a bummer Utah won't get to see their top pick develop into a homegrown two-way star as once expected, maybe it's a move that'll work out for all involved in the end.

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