Three Utah Jazz Players Poised for the Biggest Offseason Leap

In this story:
The Utah Jazz, after a long and strenuous regular season, saw all of their young players on the roster show some inspiring signs of their development in one way or another, which in turn, is what considers their year as a whole an overall success for head coach Will Hardy.
But now as their offseason gets underway, it marks the start of when the real work can officially begin for those same young players on the roster to take their game forward another level from what was shown throughout this past season.
And as it concerns a particular set of young players on the Jazz's roster eyeing a key role in next year's rotation, it makes these next few months of the summer even more important to capitalize on to set the stage for a considerable leap next season.
With that in mind, here are three young players on the Jazz roster who headed into a pivotal summer that could set up for a breakout 2026-27 campaign:
1. Cody Williams

After many questions encircled Cody Williams and his future with the Jazz following a bumpy rookie season, he silenced those concerns in a major way by rising to the occassion in year two for a big leap on both ends of the floor, especially as he saw his minutes increase following the All-Star break.
Now, the work only continues for Williams rolling into the offseason. He'll have to continue adding to his NBA frame as he did throughout all of last summer to help further refine his versatility as a defender, and any improvements he can make on his outside shot will be massive for his chances to stay on the floor longer as well.
2. Isaiah Collier

Isaiah Collier made nice strides from his rookie campaign, that's cemented enough confidence he can be the Jazz's primary backup point guard behind Keyonte George next season. But there's certainly still work to be done for him to truly reach his ceiling as an all-around threat offensively.
Most importantly, Collier has to take the next step as a jump shooter. His efficiency at the rim was extremely improved last year, but shooting 27.0% from three as a guard has a lot of room to get better headed into his third season as a pro.
3. Ace Bailey

There's a real case to be made that Ace Bailey has the best chance at the biggest leap from season to season on the Jazz's entire roster, as the top-five pick has consistently shown his ability to gradually improve across his first year, and now sets up for a huge sophomore campaign.
Bailey will have a full offseason ahead to continue to grow physically, work on his defensive traits that head coach Will Hardy clearly wants him to make a top priority, and might be able to establish himself as a top-three scoring option on next year's roster, even when everyone onboard is back to full health.
Will Hardy has high expectations for Keyonte George & Ace Bailey this summer:
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) April 14, 2026
🗣️"I think [for Ace] and Keyonte, it's going to be about your individual defense."
"Before a collective group can take a step forward on the defensive side, every person has to take a step forward." pic.twitter.com/v5eZHSRz52
Be sure to follow Utah Jazz On SI on X for daily Utah Jazz news, rumors and analysis!

Jared Koch is the deputy editor of Utah Jazz On SI. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, contributing to Denver Broncos On SI, Indianapolis Colts On SI, and Sacramento Kings On SI. He has covered multiple NBA and NFL events on site, and his works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, and Yahoo.
Follow jjaredkoch