Utah Jazz
2025-26What are the Utah Jazz in 2025-26, and what needs front-office attention?
UTA 2025-26: the clearest roster problems were Creation, Rim protection, Passing connectivity. The strongest covered areas were Rebounding. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Kevin Love. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.Full reading
UTA 2025-26 Rebounding: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 83.3 league percentile. Ace Bailey supplied 23.2% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences created a shortage in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
UTA 2025-26 Creation: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 0.0 league percentile. Isaiah Collier supplied 27.9% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
UTA 2025-26 Rim protection: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 0.0 league percentile. Cody Williams supplied 20.5% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
UTA 2025-26 Passing connectivity: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 4.2 league percentile. Isaiah Collier supplied 27.3% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedCritical team problem | 0th percentile | Isaiah Collier · 27.9% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedStructural team problem | 21st percentile | Kyle Filipowski · 23.8% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Interior finishing | SupportedStructural team problem | 17th percentile | Lauri Markkanen · 23.3% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedStructural team problem | 4th percentile | Isaiah Collier · 27.3% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Lauri Markkanen | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rebounding | SupportedTeam strength | 83rd percentile | Ace Bailey · 23.2% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim pressure | SupportedMiddle of the league | 67th percentile | Lauri Markkanen · 18.4% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim protection | SupportedCritical team problem | 0th percentile | Cody Williams · 20.5% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Lauri Markkanen | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedStructural team problem | 21st percentile | Brice Sensabaugh · 22.9% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Lauri Markkanen | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.
UTA did not have strong functional backup for Isaiah Collier in passing; removing him cost about 27.3% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Keyonte George.
Replacement evidence
Jusuf Nurkic · Lauri Markkanen · Svi Mykhailiuk · Keyonte George · Ace Bailey
shrunk net -2.718 over 377 possessions
on floor 2,820 possessions · off floor 4,629 possessions
UTA had an observed replacement lineup for Kyle Filipowski, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen, Svi Mykhailiuk, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey] at -2.7 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 377 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jusuf Nurkic · Lauri Markkanen · Svi Mykhailiuk · Keyonte George · Ace Bailey
shrunk net -2.718 over 377 possessions
on floor 3,363 possessions · off floor 4,085 possessions
UTA had an observed replacement lineup for Brice Sensabaugh, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen, Svi Mykhailiuk, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey] at -2.7 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 377 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jusuf Nurkic · Lauri Markkanen · Svi Mykhailiuk · Keyonte George · Ace Bailey
shrunk net -2.718 over 377 possessions
on floor 3,338 possessions · off floor 4,141 possessions
UTA had an observed replacement lineup for Cody Williams, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen, Svi Mykhailiuk, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey] at -2.7 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 377 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jusuf Nurkic · Lauri Markkanen · Svi Mykhailiuk · Keyonte George · Ace Bailey
shrunk net -2.718 over 377 possessions
on floor 3,100 possessions · off floor 4,374 possessions
UTA had an observed replacement lineup for Kevin Love, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen, Svi Mykhailiuk, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey] at -2.7 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 377 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jusuf Nurkic · Lauri Markkanen · Svi Mykhailiuk · Keyonte George · Ace Bailey
shrunk net -2.718 over 377 possessions
on floor 1,129 possessions · off floor 6,337 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Isaiah Collier
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Kyle Filipowski
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Lauri Markkanen
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Isaiah Collier
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Ace Bailey
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Lauri Markkanen
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Ace Bailey
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Brice Sensabaugh
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to interior finishing; the highest-need area is rim protection. Salary-to-function mapping covers 60% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Screening: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.