The Utah Jazz are set to kick off their first preseason game of their four-game slate before getting their 82-game regular season underway later this month.
For game one of the Jazz's preseason slate, they'll be set to face the Denver Nuggets on the road-- and in the process of that trip away from home, Utah will be without three players in the process.
According to Chandler Holt of KSL Sports , the Jazz will be without the following players against the Nuggets:
Kyle Filipowski: OUT (back)
Josh Green: OUT (knee)
Brice Sensabaugh: OUT (hip)
Overall, it appears the Jazz will still be able to roll out their expected starting five to open the year and will have a good chunk of their bench pieces. Yet that doesn't mean they won't be without a few key absences.
The two biggest are their young pieces, Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh, both of which are expected to be key parts of their second unit throughout the season , having come off of pretty solid 2025-26 campaigns.
Both of them, though, will have to wait to make their unofficial debut for this year. Their next chance to suit up will arrive on Tuesday, where the Jazz face the Nuggets for a second exhibition.
Don't expect to see veteran newcomer Josh Green on the floor for his Jazz debut either, as he appears to be dealing with a knee issue that will keep him sidelined alongside Utah's young duo of Filipowski and Collier.
Apr 1, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Joki (15) gets past Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) and dunks the ball during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Knowing those three names are out of the mix for Sunday's action against the Nuggets, I'll be keeping a close watch on how the following players perform in what will be our first glimpse at this new-look Jazz roster from multiple offseason changes:
Darryn Peterson:It's the first game of the year for the Jazz's No. 2 overall rookie. There's no doubt that all eyes will be on how Utah utilizes him, where he sits in the lineup, and how polished he looks on both ends from the jump.
Ace Bailey:The Jazz's top-five pick from last summer now has a full NBA season and offseason under his belt, where he now enters this year as one of the few breakout candidates to circle on Utah's roster. How he starts off his second season here against Denver will be worth watching.
Isaiah Collier:Without the presence of both Filipowski and Sensabaugh in the second unit, there's bound to be a bit more responsibility on the shoulders of Collier to produce. Expect him to have the ball in his hands a good amount for whatever minutes he's on the floor.
Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 5 p.m. MT in Ball Arena, marking the unofficial start of what is expected to be an exciting 2026-27 campaign for Utah.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/jazz/onsi as Jazz Preseason Injury Report Rules Out 3 Players vs. Nuggets .
