Utah Jazz roster: 3 players who won’t return Next Season
The Utah Jazz roster will be quite different next season.
With only two games remaining in the season, it’s that time of year when some of our favorite Utah Jazz players will play their final games. Which players are leaving, and who will be part of the future? Let’s have a look.
Talen Horton–Tucker
The Horton-Tucker experiment will come to an abrupt end next week. The former first-round draft pick was acquired as part of the Patrick Beverly trade. Horton-Tucker indirectly became a Jazzman as a result of the Rudy Gobert trade in 2022.
Even though it didn’t work out, the transaction was worth the risk. ‘THT’ possesses the stature and athleticism sought after in today’s NBA. However, his shortcomings included inefficient play and not being a natural fit for the point guard position. The Jazz’s decision to choose Keyonte George in the first round of last year’s draft did not help either.
Horton-Tucker is only 23 years old and is expected to join the NBA roster, but his chances in Salt Lake City are over. To his credit, he has hit a career-best 33.9% from long distance this year, and if he can continue to improve on that figure, there’s a chance he may make an NBA rotation moving forward.
Utah’s longest-tenured player will most likely leave Salt Lake City next year. Clarkson has always been a fan favorite, but at this point in his career, joining a rebuilding team simply does not make sense.
Utah intentionally front-loaded his deal to make it easier to move him this offseason. I still believe Clarkson might return to start next season if Utah can’t find a trade partner ready to part with an asset due to his recent career-worst year and inability to remain healthy.
If Utah has to return a terrible deal in exchange, they may wait and try to increase his trade worth before moving him during the next season. Clarkson will not play for the Jazz again next season, regardless.
Kris Dunn
This might go either way, but Dunn’s will most likely be in another city next season. Dunn began in Utah on a 10-day contract and has made the most of his opportunity. It’s unusual to combine it with a two-year contract.
Dunn possesses a proven skill set that is difficult to find in today’s NBA and would be an excellent fit anyplace because the defense travels. Even if Utah wants to bring him back, Dunn has the cards.
Unless the Jazz are willing to overpay, I can’t imagine Dunn would want to return to a franchise still in the infant stages of rebuilding. Dunn isn’t going to break the bank in free agency, but there is certainly a contract out there waiting for him.
