The Utah Jazz are six weeks from the 2024-25 season getting underway. So, it’s that time of the year when we make some bold predictions. Some may come to fruition, while others may not. Either way, let’s grab our crystal ball and go out on a limb.

Jordan Clarkson & John Collins are Rostered Past the Trade Deadline

The rumors of Clarkson and Collins parting ways with the Jazz have been hot and heavy this season. However, the market has gone dry for a pair of players on deals that lean on the risky side for a potential buyer.

Utah front-loaded Clarkson’s extension in 2022, hoping he would be more tradeable in year two or three of his contract. However, that ship has sailed thanks to some injuries and a career-low 29.4% shooting percentage from long distance last year. There’s still hope his trade stock will increase with a hot start to the season, but Clarkson may have to wait until his contract gets closer to expiring before playing for a contender.

As for Collins, there’s nothing the Jazz can do about that one. Utah is on the hook for 53 million dollars over the next two season. Good luck finding a buyer that’s willing to absorb that type of money for a fringe starter.

Collin Sexton Enters the All-Star Conversation

Sexton showed huge improvement in year two as a Jazzman. Really, all he needs to be considered an All-Star is more minutes on the court. In his second season in Salt Lake City, Sexton averaged an efficient 18.7 points while dishing out 4.7 assists per game. What was impressive is he did it in just 26.6 minutes per game.

Can Sexton get more minutes on the court? Sexton’s situation isn’t ideal considering he’ll be competing for minutes on a team that is rebuilding. We’ll see if he can strongarm his way to more playing time with his play on the court.

Sexton is on the record stating he’s a top 10 point guard in the league. If he makes the same leap in development as last season, then there may be a case.

Walker Kessler is Traded at the Deadline

Kessler showed a lot of promise in his rookie season after being acquired in the Rudy Gobert trade. Those days are long gone and it was an eye opener when Kessler was asked to be part of the Summer League in his third year as a pro.

The good news is that if Utah doesn’t envision Kessler as part of its long-term plans, finding a trade partner shouldn’t be too difficult. Kessler is still on his rookie contract and is a top-5 shot blocker in the league.

Also, an emergence of Kyle Filipowski could make Kessler more expendable. Jazz head coach Will Hardy likes to run a five-out offense, and Utah’s 2024 second-round pick skill set is more conducive to what Utah wants to accomplish. considering his ability to space the floor as a big man,

The Jazz Win Over the Oddsmakers Prediction of 29 Games

Hopefully, I’m wrong on this one, but the Jazz are going to have to be creative to tank their way to a top-five pick. There’s too much veteran talent on the team to bottom out. If Utah really wanted to get in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, it should have traded Collins, Clarkson, Sexton, or Kessler before the start of the season.

Trading Clarkson and Collins would have required taking a negative asset back, but in a year in which there’s more than one franchise changer in a loaded 2025 draft class, it would have been the right play. Even trading Sexton and Kessler before the season would have secured a top-5 pick. So, unless Utah prioritizes player development over giving the veterans their minutes, I’m expecting the Jazz to have the seventh or eighth-best odds to land the No. 1 pick.