Blog

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Offseason Recap

• Last season: 22-60 (15th in West, missed postseason)
• Key Additions: Josh Green, Jaxson Hayes, Jusuf Nurkić, Josh Okogie, Darryn Peterson
• Every Jazz move this offseason

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Season Outlook

Jumping from fourth to second in the Draft Lottery allowed Utah to grab Kansas guard Darryn Peterson in the Draft, adding a play-ready talent to a young group that has been ripening since the team’s last playoff appearance in 2022.

Coach Will Hardy has enough tent-pole guys like Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Keyonte George to mix ‘n’ match for various sizes, styles and strengths.

Markkanen should aim for a return to All-Star status (despite how crowded the West roster will be). Jackson, back from knee surgery after playing only three games for Utah once he arrived from Memphis, is a consummate help defender and unorthodox scorer. George just solidified his Salt Lake City future with a five-year, $157.5 million extension.

Setting expectations high is easy enough, reaching them is the tough part. Last season, the Jazz climbed from 17 to 22 victories. Now they should be targeting 37 or so to chase a Play-In spot and really boost the culture and the spirits at Delta Center.

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Breakout Candidate: Ace Bailey

Bailey played his entire rookie season at age 19, one of the league’s youngest performers. His inexperience was evident in his start – the No. 5 pick from Rutgers made only eight of his first 32 shots and averaged 4.4 points in his first five games. Through December, he was averaging 10.4 points and starting to get a feel for his team and the league.

From Jan. 1, Bailey averaged 16.2 points and 4.9 rebounds, and earned more trust from coach Will Hardy. Now he seems positioned to seize an opportunity to help Utah as its sixth man. Assuming rookie Peterson moves into the starting lineup next to George, Bailey could bring instant offense off the bench. He did start in 61 of his 72 appearances last season but could have more of a green light working with the second unit.

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1 Number To Know

45.1% — Jazz opponents took 45.1% of their shots – the league’s highest opponent rate last season – from 3-point range. And 59% of their opponents’ 3-point attempts, also the league’s highest rate, were wide open.

The Jazz allowed 15.3 3-pointers per game, the most for any defense in the 47 seasons of the 3-point line, topping their own mark of 14.9 per game the season prior. There have been other issues, as this team has ranked in the bottom two on defense in each of the last three seasons, but improvement probably needs to include better defense around the arc.

— John Schuhmann

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5 Must-See Matchups

• Oct. 25: Lakers vs. Jazz — The third game out of the chute for both teams is a potential clash of big men, Hayes and Walker Kessler, who previously played for the opposition. Kessler, whose 2025-26 season was essentially lost to shoulder surgery, has a four-year, $130 million deal with L.A. Hayes came to Salt Lake City for two years, $12 million.

• Nov. 27: Nuggets vs. Jazz — Utah has lost 10 in a row to Denver, one more than its losing streak against OKC. Beating the Northwest Division’s best, even occasionally, is a necessity for legit improvement.

• Dec. 27: Jazz vs. Kings — This is game No. 7 of 13 against last year’s bottom feeders in the West. Utah, Sacramento, Memphis, Dallas and New Orleans held down the final five spots, all finishing 30+ games under .500. This provides a measuring stick on Utah’s early season.

• Feb. 3: Jazz vs. Rockets — This one begins a stretch in which Utah plays 11 of 14 games away from the Delta Center. When they return from Philadelphia on March 8, the Jazz will play five of their final 16 games on the road.

• Feb. 27: Wizards vs. Jazz — We’ll have to wait until after the All-Star break to get a scheduled matchup of the No. 1 (AJ Dybantsa) and No. 2 (Peterson) picks in the 2026 Draft. But the second one comes exactly one week later in Washington.

> Complete Regular Season Schedule

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Preseason Storylines

Shoring up the defense is essential. Utah ranked 22nd in offensive efficiency and was ninth in the NBA in points per game (117.6). But they were dead last in points allowed nightly (126.0) and 29th in defensive efficiency. Losing Kessler to the Lakers would seem to be heading in the wrong direction, but Jackson Jr. is a former Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Defense pick. Josh Okogie and Josh Green are new arrivals with defensive chops as well.

Will Jackson log more minutes at center or at power forward? Jusuf Nurkić is huge, a double-double guy and a deft passer, but not a paint protector. Hayes is a shot blocker and changer, but limited in other areas. There might be a lot of position-by-committee with the Jazz this season.

Guard Isaiah Collier got to 500 career assists in just 81 games, faster even than franchise and NBA all-time leader John Stockton (93 games). Collier’s ability to set up teammates, especially when pushing the break, has to earn him additional minutes. On a per-36 basis last season, he averaged 16.3 points and 10 assists.

> Complete Preseason Schedule

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

Offseason Recap

• Last Season: 54-28 (3rd in West, lost in First Round)
• Key Additions: Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Brazile, DeMar DeRozan, Alpha Diallo, Bryce Hopkins
• Every Nuggets move this offseason

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Season Outlook

Denver has high hopes again this season, reasonable enough for a team that boasts arguably the NBA’s top player in Nikola Jokić, as well as battle-tested cohorts Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon to complete its Big Three. The supporting cast will look different, though, with DeMar DeRozan entering the mix and the departures of Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown this offseason.

Jokić remains a constant, fascinating to watch in his rare mix of skills and unathletic-looking body. Murray can finally achieve All-Star status 10 years into his career. Gordon should be good for more than the 36 games he played last season, with improved overall health the biggest key to Denver getting where it wants to go by the playoffs’ end. Coach David Adelman’s preferred starting lineup managed only 23 games together but went 18-5.

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Breakout Candidate: Alpha Diallo

The Nuggets have ranked 21st defensively for two consecutive seasons, an anchor too many nights on the NBA’s top offense of 2025-26. Without improvement there, Adelman can concoct as many ATO gems as he likes, but Denver will bog down at the other end.

Enter Diallo, an athletic wing with a wide wingspan who should help make up for what Denver lost in Watson. Diallo, officially now a 27-year-old NBA rookie, was the EuroLeague’s defensive player of the year before joining Denver this offseason.

Diallo’s offensive skills are said to lag behind his defense, but if he can hold down opposing shooting guards and small forwards, Adelman will find minutes for him in that high-powered attack. Jokić, Murray, Gordon and others can handle the points if Diallo can smother some scorers.

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1 Number To Know

10 — The Nuggets have ranked in the top seven offensively in each of the last 10 seasons, and last season (when they scored 6.4 points per 100 possessions more than the league average) was their best offensive season in that stretch.

Depth and defense will remain big questions, especially with the departure of Watson. But as long as Jokić is in Denver, you can be sure that the Nuggets will have an elite offense. He’s one of the best passers we’ve ever seen and his career true shooting percentage of 64.1% is the highest in NBA history among the 160 players who’ve averaged at least 18 points per game.

Murray also played a big role in the Nuggets’ success last season, playing 75 games and registering career-high marks for both points per game (25.4) and true shooting percentage (62.2%). His load will be no lighter this year.

— John Schuhmann

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5 Must-See Matchups

• Dec. 2: Nuggets vs. Sixers — It’s not just that Philadelphia is the NBA’s alleged new “super team,” it’s the fact that the Sixers’ fate likely will rise or fall based on longtime center Joel Embiid’s health and performance. An Embiid-Jokić matchup always is must-see hoops.

• Dec. 15: Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers — Denver opens the regular season playing 14 of its first 22 games on the road. This is No. 14. How the Nuggets come through that gauntlet, with the schedule tilting their mile-high way, could set up any success that follows.

• Jan. 30: Nuggets vs. Thunder — The nitty-gritty of the season brings not just this meeting of West powers but a rematch three nights later in Denver.

• March 3: Spurs vs. Nuggets — The first of two potentially pivotal games, deep enough into the schedule to impact playoff seedings. First, the Nuggets play host to San Antonio, then have Minnesota in their building on March 7.

• March 18: Cavaliers vs. Nuggets — Even if Denver is humming along and not noticeably missing Watson, who left via sign-and-trade deal this summer, the fans at Ball Arena either will show Watson appreciation for his work the past four seasons or crankiness because he’s gone.

> Complete Regular Season Schedule

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Preseason Storylines

No one can quibble with DeMar DeRozan’s resume. He ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, he’s been a stable, mature locker-room leader for years and he still can get a bucket or 12 (18.4 ppg last season). But at 37, is he up for the sixth-man role that would seem to suit him in the Nuggets’ rotation? The fit will be working itself out early.

Veteran coach Dave Joerger, the former head coach in Memphis and Sacramento, joins Adelman’s staff with an eye on defensive improvement. Plenty of work to be done there, and a lot of metrics to gauge early movement.

Cam Whitmore, the No. 20 pick in 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets in mid-September. The 6-foot-6 forward was limited to 21 games for Washington last season by a blood-clot condition.

> Complete Preseason Schedule

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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Offseason Recap

• Last Season: 49-33 (6th in West, lost in conference semifinals)
• Key Additions: LaMelo Ball, Isaiah Evans, Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Lyles, Cody Williams
• Every Timberwolves move this offseason

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Season Outlook

If desperation and boldness were a sure-fire formula for winning, Minnesota would rank at or near the top of title contenders in 2026-27. After winning just two playoff series in the franchise’s first 34 years, they have won five in the past three. And in Tim Connelly, the team’s president of basketball operations, the Timberwolves have an executive willing to swing from the heels to serve his vision. After trying the twin-tower concept by acquiring Rudy Gobert in 2022 to team with Karl-Anthony Towns, he went big again this offseason, trading Naz Reid and Julius Randle in a 5-team deal for polarizing point guard LaMelo Ball.

Ball is a professional playmaker who stayed healthy and helped Charlotte to a breakthrough season, and in terms of career sweet spots, he is perfectly in sync with star Anthony Edwards. Both are 25, in their early primes, to keep hope alive that the Wolves can break through one postseason soon. Beginning next spring.

Connelly tried to top himself by wooing LeBron James, but had to settle for plugging the power forward spot with Jonathan Kuminga. He had touted Jaden McDaniels’ on-ball defense and Gobert’s rim protection as attributes to ease James’ workload. The veteran didn’t bite, but those two remain, allowing coach Chris Finch to sleep most nights.

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Breakout Candidate: Jonathan Kuminga

Kuminga, believe it or not, is already a five-year veteran, but he’s still searching for a comfortable NBA home and a true identity as a pro. He struggled to find a consistent role in Golden State, and he didn’t get much traction in Atlanta last season either (the Hawks declined their team option). His skills are obvious – he has averaged 12.5 points in 22.1 minutes, so he’s at 20.3 points per 36. But the Wolves mostly want him to rebound and defend in plugging their considerable need at power forward. Kuminga, effectively playing for his next contract after turning down the Lakers’ three-year offer, faces a decision: keep trying to showcase his individual talents or do what Minnesota needs for the best team result to boost his reputation.

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1 Number To Know

49.6% — Edwards shot 69-for-139 (49.6%) on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, the best mark among 308 players with at least 75 catch-and-shoot attempts last season and much better than he shot (35.3%) on pull-up 3s.

But only 27% of Edwards’ 3-point attempts were off the catch, with that being the fourth-lowest rate among 307 players with at least 100 total attempts. Edwards has seen a jump in his time of possession every year he’s been in the league, with the jump from 2024-25 (16% of his time on the floor) to ’25-26 (20%) being the largest he’s seen. The ball has increasingly been in his hands and he’s increasingly shot more off the dribble.

Ball is here to reverse that trend, have Edwards shooting more off the catch, and make the Wolves’ star a more efficient scorer.

— John Schuhmann

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5 Must-See Matchups

• Oct. 21: Timberwolves vs. Heat — It’s opening night for teams with two of the biggest offseason acquisitions (outside of Philadelphia). Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his Miami debut, while Minnesota counters with Ball.

• Oct. 31: Timberwolves vs. Spurs — The sting of last spring’s elimination in six games remains – three of those defeats were decided by 29+ points – and it’s never too early to face the reality that where Minnesota wants to go, it will need to go through San Antonio.

• Dec. 27: Timberwolves vs. Golden State — The first clash comes Oct. 28, too soon to know Kuminga’s place in the Wolves’ eventual pecking order. But this one back in the Warriors’ building could give him a chance for a little payback to his original team.

• Dec. 31: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves — The two nemeses meet on Dec. 28 in Denver, but that’s the tail end of back-to-backs for both teams. This late-afternoon game before a feisty Minnesota crowd should be more raucous.

• Jan. 29: Hornets vs. Timberwolves — More than three months will have passed before Ball gets to face the team that traded him. Reid will get a video tribute, so Ball will be in the spotlight for turning the night in Minnesota’s direction.

> Complete Regular Season Schedule

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Preseason Storylines

Ball’s arrival gives the Timberwolves one of the NBA’s most exciting backcourts, teaming him with fellow Class of 2020 All-Star Edwards. Ball is a highlight-reel passer and a daring shot-taker when he seeks out his own offense, while Edwards should thrive in getting off the ball after covering for Minnesota’s thin point guard options. Slipping back into his potent scoring guard role could make him a favorite to chase his first scoring title.

More of Jaden McDaniels’ game emerges every season, and a concerted effort to have him flourish offensively should get a boost from Ball’s delivery of the basketball. The lanky, laconic defensive specialist continues as the choice against high-scoring opponents.

Donte DiVincenzo’s Achilles absence opens minutes for a variety of reserves, from Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr. to Jaylen Clark and former lottery pick Cody Williams.

> Complete Preseason Schedule

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