Jazz betting on youth after moving on from trio of vets

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Unburdened by expectations, the young Utah Jazz feel like they have nowhere to go but up.

The Jazz, who had the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65, lost three of their top scorers — John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton — clearing the way for a monumental youth movement.

First-round draft picks Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. join several young teammates with limited experience. There are nine players on the roster from the last three drafts.

The few veterans Utah acquired will most likely be a larger presence in the locker room than the court.

The Jazz are led by one of the youngest coaches in the league. Coach Will Hardy, 37, played against newcomer Kevin Love as a teenager in AAU basketball.

Other key additions are Georges Niang, who previously spent four seasons with Utah, Kyle Anderson and Jusuf Nurkic.

But Utah owner Ryan Smith allowed president of basketball operations Austin Ainge to give the keys to the inexperienced players and let them learn on the job.

“There’s no way that we’re going to be able to get to our ultimate goal of winning a championship if it’s not through a youth movement here,” Smith said.

Utah showed its faith in its centerpiece, Lauri Markkanen, with a five-year, $238 million contract renegotiation and extension last August, but he continues to be the subject of trade rumors.

“He's so versatile at his size that he can fit with anyone," Ainge said, downplaying the rumors. "We hope to have him around here long term. He's been a huge asset to our organization, on and off the court."

Now, the Jazz are hoping some of the young players can step up and pressure off Markkanen, who struggled as the primary offensive option last season.

“We’re not waiting on somebody to come and save us,” Hardy said. “Every good player in our league has had a breakout year … and there’s nothing that says that somebody in our locker room can’t have a breakout year this year.”

The continual progression of center Walker Kessler in his fourth year would certainly help, but he expressed regret that the Jazz haven’t yet reached a contract extension with him.

“I’m definitely a little frustrated … but regardless I love Utah,” said Kessler, who promised not to be a distraction.

Kessler is in the final year of his rookie deal. If an agreement is not reached by Oct. 20, he’ll become a restricted free agent after the season.

The defensive-minded Kessler is the longest tenured player on the Jazz, arriving a few days before Markkanen.

One of the young players hoping to fill the leadership void is Keyonte George. He and most of the squad worked out together this summer. The guard even hosted a handful of his teammates in Dallas for a bonding week of practice and weightlifting.

“The hardest thing in the NBA is to build camaraderie,” said George, who averaged 16.8 points and 5.6 assists per game last season. “I didn’t have nothing like that my first two years in the league. So to do something like that, it was pretty special for me.”

Other candidates for a breakout campaign are Taylor Hendricks, who is back after a gruesome broken leg in the third game of the season, and Kyle Filipowski, who was the Las Vegas Summer League MVP.

The Jazz will soon see what camaraderie and unproven talent can bring to Utah.

“We bet on youth,” Hardy said.

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