The J-Notes

Jusuf Nurkic went from the player everyone rolled their eyes at when they heard the Utah Jazz acquired him to the player everyone is stoked to have back this year. That's how beloved he became almost immediately. Even better is that the feeling is mutual and then some. That's not just because Nurkic re-signed, but because he recently praised the Jazz as the best organization he's ever played for. He said as much two weeks ago during his appearance on Sofascore.

Let's start this with a big, fat NO. The Utah Jazz are not getting Anthony Davis. The idea sounds kind of cool, especially after they just traded Walker Kessler, but that's not happening. Davis is too injury-prone for Utah to take that risk, but that doesn't mean someone else will. Especially if that someone is trying to reunite Davis with LeBron James. James already helped the Jazz out by ditching the Los Angeles Lakers, thus making the Kessler trade easier to make.

The Utah Jazz won't have to worry much about Lu Dort this season, as not only is he no longer associated with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he's with the Atlanta Hawks, meaning they'll only see him twice. Not only that, but Dort wasn't even on their radar, signaling how confident they are in their wings. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto listed the other teams interested in Dort besides the Hawks, none of whom were the Jazz.

Collin Sexton did not achieve much for the Utah Jazz, but even so, there shouldn't be any hard feelings towards him because he did what he could. He may have joined the Los Angeles Lakers, i.e., an enemy, but at least he now gets the chance to legitimately compete, something he never got in Utah.

Ever since the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade happened in February, Utah Jazz fans knew that the rebuild was coming to an end. It's been a painful four years (really two when you think about it), but there's hope in Utah again. The Jazz don't just have an exciting youth movement, highlighted by the likes of Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, and Ace Bailey, but also have an infusion of veteran talent, like JJJ, Lauri Markkanen, and Jusuf Nurkic.

Two years ago, the Utah Jazz had the chance to get Jonathan Kuminga when Golden State inquired about Lauri Markkanen, but they passed. Keep the context in mind here: they didn't say no to Kuminga, but rather turned down the chance to get him in exchange for an All-Star in his prime, which time has proven was the right move. This time, it's different. Kuminga is currently a free agent who's running low on options.

It was already cool enough knowing that the Utah Jazz got all that they did for Walker Kessler because Luka Doncic pushed for him. However, there's another factor people haven't considered: they only had this opportunity in the first place because of the few assets Dallas asked for in return for Doncic when they acquired him last year. NBA Insider Marc Stein gave the full details on how the (still historically ridiculous) Luka Doncic trade indirectly paved the way for them make a deal for Kessler.

The Utah Jazz have never been linked to Daniel Gafford, but with the moves they've made and with him very much available, he suddenly makes a lot of sense as a Walker Kessler replacement. The Jazz have quite a few options at center, but on paper, Gafford would be better than all of them. The Jazz also have another problem: they have quite a few young players who will be up for extensions soon.

The Mavericks are fielding offers for Gafford, which the Jazz definitely shouldn't ignore. Jan 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) celebrates during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect Trading Walker Kessler makes the Utah Jazz worse than they would have been with him, no questions asked.

When the Utah Jazz drafted Darryn Peterson, no one questioned his talent, and the few who did quickly had their concerns quashed during the Summer League. The real concern was his health, as Peterson had some health issues during his time in Kansas. The young Jazz guard suffered from cramps due to, as he called it, high doses of creatine.