For the Jazz, the teardown and rebuild are finally over. The time is now

The Utah Jazz have the talent, the depth, the athleticism and the overall ability to be a factor in the Western Conference next season. Now, they have to be good, and they have to be good with haste. There won’t be any time to ease into it.

We remember the Jazz the last time they were dynamic. We remember that last second loss against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 in 2022. We pretty much knew the Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert partnership ended that night, even if it didn’t become official until a few months later. The organization underwent seismic shift that offseason, with Mitchell off to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, both making conference finals runs without the other. Coach Quin Snyder eventually went to the Atlanta Hawks. GM Dennis Lindsey went to help run the Detroit Pistons. And, the Ryan Smith/Danny Ainge/Justin Zanik partnership welcomed Will Hardy before going right into this lengthy rebuild.

That part is over. But the time when a team could ease its way back to contender status may be over, as well. Windows open and shut in the NBA almost instantaneously these days. A year ago, we were all wondering how many championships the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to run off. Today, we are all wondering how they can improve the roster enough to catch up to the San Antonio Spurs.

Next season will be the first in almost five years that we have any real expectation for the Jazz. We can close our eyes and envision Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and Jaren Jackson Jr. being one of the best and most versatile front courts in the NBA. We can imagine Ace Bailey and whomever becomes the No. 2 pick of the draft forming one of the better young duos in the league. And would anyone be shocked if Keyonte George makes another leap into an all-star level player?

There is so much to like, and so much reason for optimism if you are a Jazz fan. But the sound you hear is the proverbial record scratch.

If this were any point between the 90s and the early part of this decade, you could reasonably count on a three to five-year window. But the CBA and its restrictive first and second aprons, along with its all-around financial setup meant to promote parity, will make this a sprint for the Jazz instead of a jog.

Next season could be a mulligan, meaning that if the Jazz fall short of a postseason run it won’t be the end of times.

But the roster will get very expensive very fast. The Jazz will likely have to give big money to Kessler, a restricted free agent this summer. With the team short on point of attack defense, Kessler’s value is absolute. He’s one of the best defenders in the league and is good on the other end. His impact on winning is apparent whenever he’s on the floor. Then there’s Markkanen, who has one of the most expensive contracts in the league, and Jackson Jr., who is also on a big money deal.

That makes what the Jazz do with George worth watching. He is extension eligible this summer. Does Utah give him a deal, or does it allow the point guard to get to restricted free agency?

The Jazz have a decision to make about Keyonte George (Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)

The front office has two years with the roster intact before it has to make decisions on any of the major components.

The Jazz are capable of making a major leap next season. That frontcourt has a chance to be exceptional, with its size, athleticism, versatility and ability to shoot. Utah’s depth is ready made thanks to the development of Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski. Most spectators who truly knew the personnel understood that Utah had to pull some real shenanigans in order to tank properly.

The Jazz will be tested on how big they can win while playing a different style than almost everyone else. The league has primarily shifted toward multiple ballhandlers, but the Jazz are going to play big, so they know they need to find some secondary ballhandling in the draft and free agency.

More than anything, though, the Jazz are excited to finally see where they stand. They are excited to finally take the shackles off Hardy, someone they feel can be one of the best coaches in the league. And they are excited to finally compete from night to night. They know it won’t be easy. The Spurs and Thunder are titans. The Los Angeles Lakers stand a chance to get better, with better health. The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t going anywhere. The Houston Rockets are established.

But the work of tearing the foundation down and building it back up appears complete. The Jazz finally got a bit of lottery luck, and will finally have the chance to draft the franchise level piece they have been looking for since trading Mitchell.

Now the real work begins. It’s pretty easy to go from being a bad team to being a good team. When you’re a bad team, decisions don’t come with the same level of pressure. You’re already bad.

The hardest thing in the league is to go from good to great. Now, the Jazz will have the roster to win, and the pressures that comes with it. It will make for a fascinating summer, and an even more fascinating 2026-27 season for the team residing by the Wasatch Front.