While the Utah Jazz can’t be expected to be the most competitive team in the league next NBA season, that doesn’t mean the team lacks talent. There are several key names on the roster heading into the 2024-25 season ready to have a great season in Salt Lake City.
When you step back and look at the state of the Jazz, youth development is at the forefront of this team, but some experienced players will still play an important role in Utah’s rotation and ultimately success next season.
Of these veterans, writer Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report sees Collin Sexton as the Jazz’s biggest secret for the coming year and gives him a good chance of being the team’s second most valuable player behind Lauri Markkanen
“Lauri Markkanen is the Utah Jazz’s undisputed best player, but most wouldn’t guess that the gap between him and Collin Sexton was pretty small last season… In fact, Sexton contributed more to the Jazz’s bottom line than Dunn and Walker Kessler (2.3 wins), who combined for fourth place… After two years of trying to get back on the court consistently, he was finally ready to introduce himself to a larger audience last season. Whether Utah trades him for draft picks or tries to get 40 or more wins, Sexton has a good chance of being the team’s second most valuable player.”
– Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report
Sexton is coming off one of his best seasons in recent memory, averaging 18.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 48.7/39.4/85.9 shooting percentages. Last season, he developed into one of Utah’s best offensive players, becoming the second-leading scorer, just behind Markkanen at 24.5 points per game.
He’s a sometimes overlooked part of this Jazz core, as he’s not exactly part of the new and refreshed youth movement, but was brought in as an additional piece of the Donovan Mitchell trade in 2022. However, he’s improved in each of his two years in Utah since rehabbing his torn meniscus, and he’ll look to build toward a third year in 2024.
Although his role on the Jazz’s new roster is still unknown two months before the start of the season, whether he will play as a starter or on the bench, there are enough reasons to expect the former lottery pick to once again produce a nearly 20-point-per-game performance in his 25th season.
Follow Inside The Jazz on on facebook. And Twitter/XAnd Subscribe to YouTube for current jazz news videos and live streams!
