The Utah Jazz are just two games deep into their 2026 preseason slate––with both of those matchups coming against the Denver Nuggets early last week.
And even with what’s been such a slim sample size of exhibitions before the Jazz’s upcoming regular season campaign, it’s fair to say there are already a few players around this roster seeing their stock slightly tipping in one direction or another.
For some, they’ve had one or two good nights in the books that have made them worth a tad bit more attention from what they entered training camp with. And for others, they may have some work to do in order to help rebound their own stock, which might have seen a slight drop in a short amount of time.
With that in mind, let’s sort through a batch of three players on the Jazz roster that I’m currently buying stock into, along with three others whose stock I’m on the verge of selling:
Buying
Jaxson Hayes
It’s easy to see why Hayes’ stock is trending up after just a couple of preseason showings. And really, it’s not even because he’s been playing well in the reps he’s gotten for those two exhibition games.
Instead, Hayes has found himself in a situation where he’s now one of only three healthy big men on the roster readily available to get minutes. The only others who fill that mold are Jaren Jackson Jr. and Mo Bamba. So there’s a good chance that, if there are no changes for this roster’s health, Hayes is going to get a considerable role in the rotation early this season.
Darryn Peterson
While a slower start than expected in his debut preseason game, Peterson made his mark in a big way in Utah’s rematch against the Nuggets, where he logged a game-high 23 points on 10/18 shooting from the field, paired with three rebounds and three assists in the process.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy has made it an emphasis after those preseason showings that he’d like to see Peterson take some steps forward on the defensive side of the ball. But just two exhibition games in, and the No. 2 pick from this year’s draft has already shown a lot of promise.
Ace Bailey
Will Hardy made his feelings on Ace Bailey’s preseason debut pretty clear when he said that it was the best basketball game he’d seen him play since he’s been in Utah. Some of that can be attributed to a solid 10-point performance on 50% shooting, but that praise was more so because of the defensive upside he showcased.
If Bailey can continue that trend of developing into an impactful two-way player, then a massive season could be in store for the Jazz’s second-year wing.
Selling
Jusuf Nurkic
This is no knock on Nurkic as a player. When he’s healthy and on the floor, he’s probably the Jazz’s best rebounder and screener on the roster, and can be an extremely helpful passer in the frontcourt that can open up this offense immensely.
However, Nurkic is due to miss some time. The Jazz broke the news after their first preseason game against Denver that the veteran big man would be sidelined with a foot injury for at least four weeks, thus taking him out of the mix until early November. So it’s hard to say his stock is really trending anywhere but down at the moment.
Svi Mykhailiuk
Two games into Mykhailiuk’s preseason slate with the Jazz, the veteran guard hasn’t been able to gain much traction in the shooting department. He’s shot a combined 6-23 from the field in both showings against the Nuggets despite seeing a good share of minutes in both games.
Mykhailiuk remains a trusted piece of the Jazz’s rotation, and will likely have a considerable role off the bench to start the year.
Josh Green
Green was inactive for the Jazz in preseason game one against the Nuggets, but was activated in game two where he would post a mostly uninspiring performance for his first game in Utah. Green played in just 11 minutes where he recorded zero points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The performance is alarming for two reasons: one, he was a non-factor offensively, which hurts his chances next to others competing for his same minutes in the rotation. And two, he was only able to see 11 minutes throughout the night, hinting that he might be behind Mykhailiuk and Josh Okogie in terms of opportunities at the moment.
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