Landing Jaren Jackson Jr. makes one thing very clear for the Utah Jazz — the rebuild is over and winning is right around the corner

Big things are happening for the Utah Jazz. Big, in every sense of the word.

In what was one of the biggest and most shocking trades of the NBA season, the Jazz traded for a big man with big potential.

On Tuesday the Jazz acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies, signaling big changes for the franchise that has been tearing down and then rebuilding for years. This is the kind of “big-game hunting” move that Danny Ainge talked about back in 2024.

At the very least, the move signals the beginning of the end of the rebuild. At most, with more development, more moves, and some hope, the trade for Jackson gives the Jazz a major core that has the potential to contend in the Western Conference.

What to expect this season

Before the Jazz can start working toward reaching their full potential with their new roster, they still have to do some losing. This season, they are still handcuffed by the top-eight protected pick owed to Oklahoma City.

Fortunately for the Jazz, they were able to get the trade for Jackson ironed out without having to include that pick. But that means that the mission for the 2025-26 season remains the same — lose enough games so they stay at the top of the lottery and get one more high-level prospect to add to the mix.

Jackson comes to the Jazz along with John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr., who were all a part of the deal that saw Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang sent to the Memphis Grizzlies.

There will probably be some mixing of the new players into the rotation — some experimentation with how they work alongside the established Jazz players. But, there shouldn’t be an expectation that Jackson, Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George will all hit the ground running, playing heavy minutes alongside each other. Frankly, that would make the Jazz a little too good right now.

Instead, expect more of the same with every bump and bruise that Jackson suffers treated with bubble wrap and caution tape and some rest days for good measure, much like the rest of his new teammates.

The fit and the Kessler of it all

First and foremost, the Jazz are excited about the potential for a supersized front court and a starting lineup that could be comprised of Jackson, Markkanen, George, Walker Kessler and Ace Bailey.

Not too long ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lineup that included Markkanen, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen caused major problems for the smaller and more traditional teams they came up against. Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler could cause even more havoc on opponents, and the Jazz’s supporting cast is young, fast and springy.

There were many who first heard the news of the trade and thought that meant a Kessler exit was imminent. But Jackson is a versatile version of a big man who has often played at the four, shoots between 35% and 40% from 3-point range, and has no problem defensively switching onto smaller, quicker players.

There’s not really any reason why the roster can’t work with both Jackson and Kessler on the court. But, if for some reason the extension talks between the Jazz and Kessler go sour this coming offseason, Jackson is the perfect insurance policy.

That being said, there’s no doubt that the Jazz brass made the deal believing that the ages and skillsets of Jackson, Markkanen and Kessler were perfectly aligned.

And Jazz coach Will Hardy, who has been coaching with one arm tied behind his back for the better part of four years, will be given all the room to try out strange and interesting new things with one of the biggest and longest lineups in the league.

Defense and being defended

If there’s one thing that stands out as the most glaring negative characteristic of this rebuilding Jazz team, it’s been the defense. They’ve ranked dead last in just about every defensive metric and even when Kessler, a good defensive player, has been healthy, he hasn’t been able to make up for the lack of defensive prowess on the roster.

This doesn’t mean that Jackson completely fixes the problem, but his presence will absolutely have a positive impact.

He is already proven when it comes to helping and shifting and playing the gaps with rich acumen. And where Jackson lacks — in the rebounding department — Kessler shines.

Then there are thoughts about how the Jazz would be defended, and that might be where things get most exciting. An opposing team’s center is going to have to choose between the three near 7-footers, and the other two are going to have the opportunity to feast in a number of scenarios.

For Markkanen, who has largely been double- and triple-teamed over the last couple of years, and seen a number of centers guard him to take away the Jazz’s most potent offensive threat, he’s bound to have more freedom flanked by the kind of length of offensive fire power the Jazz will be able to field.

What the Jazz gave up

In terms of what the Jazz gave up to make this happen, four players and three future first-round picks sounds like a giant package.

But Hendricks had struggled to really live up to his No. 9 draft selection, Clayton Jr. remains unproven and inconsistent, while also being one of the older rookies of the 2025 class. Niang, injured, hasn’t played a single game this season, with many worrying that his recovery might not be going as expected, and Anderson, while still helpful, is at the tail end of his career.

Now to address the picks; the most favorable 2027 pick between Utah/Minnesota/Cleveland; a 2027 top-four protected pick from the Lakers; and a 2031 unprotected pick from the Phoenix Suns.

The Jazz are going to actually try to win games next season and it would be a shock if the Timberwolves and Cavaliers weren’t also playoff teams, so that first pick doesn’t seem like it should be very high. The Lakers are, well … the Lakers, so their pick probably won’t be great. And, the 2027 draft isn’t getting too much hype.

The star pick of this trade is the unprotected Suns pick in 2031. It’s impossible to know what the NBA landscape will look like in five years, but it’s the pick that has the most projected potential.

In all, the Jazz gave up players that were on the fringes of the roster or completely out of the regular rotation, two OK picks, and one good one. That’s not bad when the package coming back includes legitimate role players and a two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year, who is only 26 years old.

Next season

This is the highlight, as mentioned at the top. The rebuild is over. The end of tanking is on the horizon. The Jazz are a young, up-and-coming team that could start contending very soon.

And the Jazz aren’t done yet.

Once they get a real feel for how this team is going to look, they still have draft picks to spare, flexibility and versatility.

The trade to land Jackson marks the end of the rebuild, but also the beginning of the next big thing for the Utah Jazz.