Ranking the Utah Jazz's Offseason Moves From Best to Worst

The Utah Jazz have made several changes to their roster over the past few weeks. Between the draft, free agency, and even a big trade to shake up their starting lineup.

Some of those moves were huge successes. Others, however, might not be looked upon quite as highly.

But for the most part, the dust has finally settled around the Jazz's offseason changes, and this current 15-man roster looks like it'll be the group that Utah will be rolling into next season with.

So which moves of the past few weeks from the Jazz front office look like the best decisions of their offseason, and which ones rank towards the bottom as some of their worst?

Let's break down each of the Jazz's big offseason changes from worst to best––and, spoiler alert: most of their recent moves have been more positive than negative:

6. Signing Jaxson Hayes to 2-Year, $12M Deal

Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center/forward Jaxson Hayes (11) warms up before game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the rationale behind adding Hayes makes sense after Walker Kessler's departure, it wasn't my favorite signing that the Jazz made this offseason.

He does add an interior scoring threat who shot above 75% from the field with the LA Lakers this past season, but doesn't patch up many of the holes in the frontcourt that Kessler leaves. He's not the greatest rim protector or rebounder to do that.

It's far from a disaster deal for the Jazz, though. It's a team-friendly deal with an out after one season that allows Utah to cut ties if they're dissatisfied after this coming year. If he works out, then they can pick up his team option for year two. But it still felt like there were better options to pursue on the market instead of Hayes.

5. Signing Mo Bamba to 2-Year, $6.9M Deal

Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Mo Bamba (11) waits to pass to Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Signing Bamba is on the minor side in terms of Jazz transactions this offseason. And his presence might not affect the bottom line of Utah's success this coming season.

However, he is an affordable center that can help offer depth in the frontcourt, can potentially offer rim protection and maybe some floor spacing, and is a familiar face for those in the building following his presence on the roster in preseason and on a couple of 10-day deals last season.

It's hard to hate this move, unless you were looking for the Jazz to bring in someone else to round out their 15-man roster. But with the limited flexibility that Utah had after using up most of their mid-level exception, he can be a nice addition to the end of the bench with the flexibility they had.

4. Re-Signing Jusuf Nurkic to 2-Year, $22M Deal

Jan 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić (30) shoots the ball over Miami Heat center/forward Bam Adebayo (13) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before the Jazz had a ton of clarity on the future that was ahead for Walker Kessler, the Jazz hammered out a new two-year deal for their veteran big man Jusuf Nurkic. And that decision looks a whole lot better after they decided to ship him off to the Lakers a couple of days later.

$11 million a season does seem like a bit on the high end for someone like Nurkic, even while he did prove his worth this past season as a serviceable starting center in the time that he filled in for Kessler due to injury. Adding on a team option for the second year like most of their free agent signings might've made this deal look a little bit better as well.

But the Jazz needed a short-term stopgap at center. They know that Nurkic connects well with this current group and can help offer some upside in terms of rebounding and playmaking that can round out this starting lineup well for the meantime. So overall, it's a successful signing.

3. Signing Josh Okogie to 2-Year, $12M Deal

Dec 5, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie (20) warms up before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Signing Josh Okogie is exactly the type of roster addition the Jazz needed this offseason: an experienced, versatile perimeter defender who can help Utah take a step in the right direction on that side of the ball, and immediately compete for minutes in the second unit.

The move to bring him in looks even better when factoring in his skillset as a connecting piece on the offensive end. He shot a career-best 38.5% from deep with the Houston Rockets on over two attempts per game last season, which gives him a better chance to get on the floor and stick as a nightly piece of the rotation.

Did I mention the deal has a team option in the second season? Yeah, this move makes a ton of sense, and the Jazz added him on a cheap, team-friendly deal. Big win.

2. Trading Walker Kessler to the LA Lakers

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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are some downsides to the Jazz's decision to send out Walker Kessler. They had to get rid of a homegrown talent who fit perfectly with their current roster, and are almost undoubtably going to be worse in the short-term without him being their defensive anchor in the middle.

But the return that the Jazz got for Kessler was a pretty impressive haul. Two first-round picks and two pick swaps from the Lakers make up for a ton of their future capital, and if things don't pan out as expected in Los Angeles, then Utah will get to capitalize in a big way. Creating extra flexibility in terms of cap space adds some more appeal to this deal for the Jazz as well.

So while the Jazz's chances of making a huge rise up the standings this season take a hit, their ability to build a sustainable, winning team for the next several years just got a whole lot more feasible.

1. Drafting Darryn Peterson

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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Is there really an argument for a better addition than the Jazz made this offseason than Darryn Peterson? Not really.

While the Jazz were bound to get a franchise cornerstone with their second-overall pick, no matter if the choice ended up being Cameron Boozer, or if AJ Dybantsa was going to be the one to fall into their laps, Peterson has proven through his short time in Utah both on the floor in Summer League and his comments off the floor that he was the right selection after all.

He's proven to be everything as advertised during his time in Salt Lake City and in Las Vegas so far, and he's only 19 years old. Just imagine how the selection will look three to five years from now. This was a home run pickup for the Jazz that'll help guide their franchise for the foreseeable future.

Be sure to follow Utah Jazz On SI on X to stay up to date with daily Utah Jazz news, rumors and analysis!

Add us as a preferred source on Google