Salt City Hoops Utah Jazz Podcast

The Utah Jazz are closer to serious playoff contention than anyone thinks, and have a perfect opportunity to shore up a rock-solid roster by signing a free agent this summer. They have the full Mid-Level Exception available to them to add a significant piece to the bench: Who is available, who will fit in with the roster, and who will seriously impact winning? What trades are on the table to cement this playoff team?Dan Clayton (@danclayt0n) and Mark Russell Pereira (@jazzmanmark.com) break down all of the best options for this episode of Salt City Hoops.Then, Dan & Mark discuss where the Jazz and Keyonte George are at in their extension talks, and they disagree on the role and value of George to the team right now and beyond.Finally, a little piece of final NBA Draft Board rankings ahead of the draft on Tuesday, and Mark has a big surprise on his final list.

The big offseason for the Utah Jazz is right around the corner! The Jazz will have much, much bigger expectations to compete next year, but there are salary cap rules on how they can shape their roster. Decisions on Walker Kessler and Keyonte George could also have huge financial ramifications down the line. What is the Mid-Level Exception? What is the First Apron? Why won't we pay the luxury tax this year, but will probably have no problem paying it next year?Mark Russell Pereira (Bluesky: @jazzmanmark.com) walks you through a very introductory examination of the Jazz salary cap sheet going into the offseason so you are well-prepared to know how the Jazz can even make (or not make) player acquisitions to shore up the rotation. Then, we use the Free Agency Simulator on saltcityhoops.com (which you can use too!), created by the wizard Zarin Ficklin (@zarin on Bluesky, @zarinf on twitter) to game out the decisions this summer and play with different options. Finally, Mark goes waaaaay deep and shows how a bunch of different extension and free agency options for the Jazz this summer could hurl them into the dreaded first and second aprons as early as 2027! These are danger zones that Utah might have to tolerate if they are to be competitive.All of these questions answered, and way more, for Salt City Hoops!#utah #utahjazz #basketball #nba #acebailey #ajdybantsa #darrynpeterson #keyontegeorge #walkerkessler #laurimarkkanen #cameronboozer #calebwilson #jarenjacksonjr

The 2026 NBA Trade Deadline draws ever nearer, so the ideas for the Jazz get wilder! Join Mark Russell Pereira (@markrussellpereira.bsky.social) as he explores trade ideas for Zion Williamson, Lu Dort, and Anthony Davis.Plus! JUSUF NURKIC MANIA! Jusuf Nurkic has recorded two straight triple-doubles in great Jazz games, and that's worth celebrating and analyzing how he's doing it.

Trade season is suddenly upon us in 2026! Mark Pereira (@markrussellpereira.bsky.social) from Salt City Hoops breaks down the overall deal before getting into why the Jazz should be paying attention to it for future roster management purposes. Then, some rotation decisions over the past two weeks has Mark questioning some things while also pointing out some interesting developments.#nba #basketball #utahjazz

Merry Christmas to Jazz fans everywhere! Mark (@markrussellpereira.bsky.social) catches us up on what he noticed from behind the Jazz bench in Denver, and highlights how Utah has been fortunate to have different co-stars alongside Keyonte George when Lauri Markkanen is resting. Like and subscribe to help us grow!#nba #basketball #utahjazz