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No matter who the Utah Jazz end up taking with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they are going to have a bit of a dilemma on their hands: Who will make up the 2026-27 starting five?
Assuming the Jazz come to a contractual agreement with Walker Kessler (which it is assumed they will), the starting five would definitely include him, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Lauri Markkanen. That leaves room for two more players, and there will be three players vying for those spots — Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and the incoming 2026 draft pick.
This is a luxury of a problem.
Having either a No. 2 pick, No. 5 pick or the No. 16 pick, who just had a breakout third season, as the first man off the bench is a great place to be, especially considering where the Jazz were for the last four years.
There are a number of the ways the Jazz could approach making a decision about who will start, and there are a number of factors that will go into that decision-making process.
Position will matter. Are the Jazz going to pick Darryn Peterson? And if so, are they going to want him to play point guard or at the two spot? Are they taking AJ Dybantsa? How would the BYU star fit alongside the rest of the frontcourt?
The readiness of the incoming rookie will also matter. It would not surprise me at all if the season started with the newest draft pick on the bench and then changed once he got some NBA reps.
One thing that could also play a role is going to be where Kessler is post-surgery recovery-wise. By all accounts, he is well-recovered, looking at a healthy offseason and will be 100% ready to go, but he hasn’t played NBA ball for an entire season, so there might be some ramp-up time for the center, depending on how he’s feeling and how cautious the Jazz want to be with him.
No matter what, the Jazz are going to have to make a tough decision with one of their young players, but it’s a great spot for the team to be in that these are the kinds of problems they’re facing as we look ahead to the 2026-27 season.
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From the archives
Extra points
- AJ Dybantsa certain he will be the No. 1 pick in June NBA draft (Deseret News)
- What to make of NBA’s attempt to curb tanking (Deseret News)
- The curious case of Darryn Peterson (Deseret News)
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- How the San Antonio Spurs reached the Finals ahead of schedule
Up next
- NBA Draft | First round | June 23 | 6 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
- NBA Draft | Second round | June 24 | 6 p.m. | ESPN