With the dawn of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Utah Jazz find themselves at a crossroads that’s as intriguing as it is pressure-packed. Officially, the front office and coaching staff are playing it cool, insisting there’s no rush or weight on the shoulders of their two brightest young prospects, Ace Bailey and Taylor Hendricks. But anyone following the Jazz knows there’s much more riding on their development than the team lets on. The franchise’s future, its rebuilding timeline, and even its ability to attract top-tier talent seem to hinge on how these two rising stars perform in the coming months.
During media day earlier this week, head coach Will Hardy and team brass took their seats and delivered the standard lines. They’re not about to heap expectations onto a 19-year-old rookie or a second-year forward just coming back from a traumatic injury. "We’re not waiting on somebody to come and save us. You’re not waiting for somebody to come and walk through the door and, oh, now we’re good," Hardy told reporters, making it clear that the Jazz are focused on internal growth rather than banking on a superstar from outside to change their fortunes overnight.
Yet, the subtext is impossible to ignore. President of basketball operations Austin Ainge echoed Hardy’s sentiment, but with a dose of realism about the team’s limitations and the market realities in Salt Lake City. "However we add to this team in the future — whether it’s through free agency next summer or trades at any point — a lot of our development has to come internal," Ainge emphasized. "We have to. The salary cap dictates it, our market dictates it and everything ... we have to improve with a lot of these young guys in that room."
That means the Jazz are looking inward, hoping their recent draft investments will pay off big. Bailey, who just turned 19, is entering the league with a swirl of anticipation and skepticism. He slid in the draft due to concerns about his offensive game—specifically his ball-handling and ability to finish at the rim—but he’s already shown flashes of defensive prowess and a knack for rebounding, especially during the summer league. If he manages to iron out those wrinkles, some believe he could be a dark horse in the Rookie of the Year race. An 18-8-3 stat line on solid percentages isn’t out of reach, and if he gets there, Utah may have landed a cornerstone talent.
Bailey’s work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed. Lauri Markkanen, Utah’s star forward who just returned from EuroBasket, praised the rookie’s drive and attitude. "I'm excited to see more of him playing," Markkanen said during media day. "I got back last week, and I've seen him on the court once. I'm impressed. He's a young kid, obviously. But, the talent's there. He's really athletic and loves to work on his game." Markkanen added, "I feel like I see him here as one of the first guys in every day. So, that's a good start. He has fun playing basketball and enjoys being here, so let's see."
Bailey himself is embracing the challenge, admitting the learning curve is steep but rewarding. "I'm learning. A lot of learning," Bailey said after a recent practice. "A lot of mess-ups. But it's fun, though. Everybody's having fun and enjoying it." For a team banking on youth, that kind of mindset is exactly what they need.
Meanwhile, Taylor Hendricks is making his own comeback story. After suffering a devastating leg injury just three games into last season, Hendricks is back and eager to prove himself. Those three games were enough to flash his defensive potential, and he’s publicly stated that he believes he can become the best defender in the league if he can stay healthy and consistent. That’s a bold aspiration, but exactly the kind of confidence the Jazz need from their young core. If Hendricks blossoms on both ends, Utah might have to start thinking about making roster moves to clear space for him in the rotation.
But the Jazz’s youth movement doesn’t stop there. Cody Williams, who struggled as a rookie last season, was the standout performer for Utah during the 2025 summer league. His newfound confidence, strength, and shooting touch have reignited hope that he could become another high-level two-way player for the franchise. The question now is whether that summer league success will translate to regular season action. If it does, the Jazz could find themselves with a trio of young, versatile defenders that would make any coach salivate.
Of course, all this promise comes with a hefty dose of uncertainty. The Jazz have invested heavily in the draft over the past three years, and if Bailey and Hendricks only turn out to be average NBA players, it could spell trouble. Nine draft picks across three years with no star to show for it would put immense pressure on whoever Utah selects in 2026, and could force the franchise to recalibrate its entire rebuilding strategy. It might even mean that established talents like Markkanen and Walker Kessler no longer fit the team’s timeline, pushing the Jazz further away from playoff contention and back into the draft lottery cycle.
Still, there’s a palpable sense of optimism around the team. The front office, players, and coaching staff are all saying the right things, but you can sense the excitement—and the nerves—just beneath the surface. The possibility of Bailey and Hendricks breaking out this season is tantalizing. It could accelerate the Jazz’s rebuild, attract free agents who are looking for a team on the rise, and restore the buzz in Salt Lake City that’s been missing since the Donovan Mitchell era.
Hardy, for one, isn’t ruling out a breakout from anyone in the locker room. "Every good player in our league has had a breakout year. Some of them it’s their first year, some it’s their third year, some it’s their fifth year. And there’s nothing that says that somebody in our locker room can’t have a breakout year this year," he said, leaving the door wide open for surprises.
As the season tips off, the Jazz faithful will be watching closely. Will Bailey and Hendricks rise to the occasion and become the stars Utah desperately needs? Or will the team’s patient approach be tested by another year of growing pains? One thing’s for certain: the journey is just beginning, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for this young, hungry squad.
For now, the Jazz are betting on their own. The coming weeks will reveal whether that gamble pays off or if the search for a franchise savior continues in Salt Lake City.
