SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The expectations for the Utah Jazz look different this season than they have in the past few years.
During the offseason, the franchise acquired several veterans in free agency and drafted the number two overall pick, Darryn Peterson out of Kansas.
At the team's Media Day, there was an air of confidence heading into the season, but the team still believes it will go as far as their two former All-Stars, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., can take it.
Austin Ainge: Lauri and Jaren are our two best players, and they are our most accomplished guys, and we’re really excited to have them healthy and together for a season. They’ve worked really hard on both their game and their relationship. They look ready and raring to go.
Will Hardy: I expect leadership by example, which we’ve consistently gotten from Lauri. I think that’s something we’ve all come to expect of him. His work ethic, his demeanor, his ability to model really professional behavior, really competitive behavior for our younger players is something we’re gonna need day in and day out.
Lauri Markkanen: I know what’s expected on and off the court. I’ve gotten more comfortable with that role. I’m more comfortable speaking up and saying what I see on the court and stuff.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: I’ve been playing against him for eight years. He’s so dynamic and the way he moves off the ball and his athleticism paired with his shooting is crazy. He’s a 7’1" wing who can shoot, so I feel like he complements anybody.
Keyonte George: It’s just going to be fun having two All-Star guys. Figure out how to play with each other and then figure out how to play with the group. Obviously, open gym has looked fun.
Will Hardy: It all makes sense when we sit around in a quiet room and draw it on a whiteboard, but I think Lauri’s willingness to play a couple of different styles, which he has shown in the past, gives me a ton of hope to figure those fits out.
Lauri Markkanen: Once we start playing well and the chemistry keeps building, everyone’s going to have individual success, and that’s the mindset everybody has.
Peterson dazzled NBA fans and evaluators over the summer with his play at the Salt Lake City and Vegas Summer Leagues. He was highly touted despite battling injuries during his lone season as a Kansas Jayhawk. His presence on the Jazz has helped stoke the fire for what could be inside the Delta Center, especially when paired with 22-year-old Keyonte George.
Will Hardy: We’ve learned that Darryn is incredibly professional for where he is in his career; in terms of, he already has a pretty good baseline of routines.
Darryn Peterson: Been here every day, working on some things, trying to prepare my body, my mind and build as much chemistry as I can now with my teammates; super excited. I’m new here, so I’ve been asking a ton of questions to the vets, also asking Coach a lot of questions. Trying to bring something to the team, whatever that can be, that’s something I’m asking a lot of the guys.
Austin Ainge: He has brought an intensity, work ethic and a maturity that is unique. NBA is hard on rookies, and he’s going to have some ups and downs this year, but we believe in his character and approach. And think he’ll handle all the ups and downs and figure it out.
Will Hardy: I think our fanbase is going to take to Darryn very quickly. He’s competitive and tough. He’s excited to be here and a good teammate. He’s great with people, and I think the transition into our Utah family has been pretty seamless.
Keyonte George: Being in the lab with him and talking back and forth with him and being able to play in tandem. Both of us can play on and off the ball, and we both understand the game at a high level. We both can shoot, get to the rim and play at all three levels. I think it’ll be fun.
Darryn Peterson: Keyonte’s a dynamic playmaker and scorer. He’s tough.
Keyonte George: That’s my dawg. Since he got here, I feel like I’ve known him for multiple years. We have different conversations whether it’s on the court or off. He just wants to know about the NBA life. He wants to know about how to go about your day the right way, what people to have around him, who to work with and stuff like that. We’re always laughing and joking, and he fit in right away. It’s felt like he’s been on the team since my rookie year. I don’t want to say he’s a good kid because I’m a kid, too. He’s fun to be around, and it’s going to be great to start this journey off.
George posted his best season in the NBA last year and signed a massive contract extension to remain in Utah for the next six years. His expectations have been lifted, too, but that has not phased the "kid" out of Baylor.
Keyonte George: I’ve had the same approach every summer. Obviously, human nature, you see our team on paper, and we know that it’s time to go. I’m excited to see what we’re made of as a group, but I’ve been excited the whole time. These last couple weeks have been tough because you want to get it started. We’re not putting any unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We’re ready to play somebody else for sure.
Ace Bailey will enter his second season in the NBA after being taken fifth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. He earned All-NBA Rookie Second Team honors last year.
Ace Bailey: I definitely feel different. I think I’m up like 10-15 pounds, and I weighed in at 215-220 the other day. I can feel it a lot because I’m feeling more comfortable taking and delivering bumps when it comes to just driving to the rim or mid-postups and stuff like that. I can definitely tell a difference in the game.
After some of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Jazz have renewed hope.
Ace Bailey: We’re a very young team, so we’re very energetic. We're all ready. We’ve all been waiting for this since the end of last season, midsummer. It’s really important to start the season.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: This is an extremely talented team. A lot of youth, a lot of athleticism. It gets you excited and definitely motivates you.
Lauri Markkanen: I think we have a lot of firepower with other guys around me as well, so that’s going to open up stuff for me, but I also think having a lot of talented guys that everybody needs to sacrifice to get the other guys open and get the other guys the ball. I’m really excited to see what we have here.
Keyonte George: We’re not focused on big picture things right now. We’re taking things one step at a time. Let’s get through camp. Let’s get through preseason, and then, let’s try to win October and go from there.
Lauri Markkanen: Our team expectations are pretty high, and that makes us even more motivated, excited and focused on the task at hand.