The Utah Jazz have made a subtle shakeup to their roster just a few hours out from their 2026-27 season opener.
In a swap surrounding one of their two-way roster spots, the Jazz would decide to bring in former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin , while also releasing Blake Hinson, thus making Bufkin one of their three two-way signings heading into game one of 82.
And the move to bring in Bufkin makes a good bit of sense on the surface. Bufkin is a former first-round talent, was left up for grabs on the free agent market as the regular season began, and the Jazz were able to strike with a low-risk signing to get him onboard their roster. Overall, a low-risk, high-reward endeavor.
At the same time, the Jazz also decided to part ways with a player in Hinson that might've been their most intriguing two-way player on the roster, all things considered. And when looking at that decision on its own, it feels as if Utah could've taken a different approach.
Now, when looking at Hinson's role on the roster before he was waived, he probably wasn't going to crack the rotation without an injury or a true breakout in the G League while on his two-way deal.
However, looking back to Hinson's last season with the Jazz, in the 14 games he appeared in, and even throughout his most recent preseason , he was playing really well in the opportunities he was given.
Hinson appeared in 14 games towards the tail-end of the 2026-27 campaign, where he averaged a little over 20 minutes a game and put together 11.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting notably impressive 51.3-46.8-75.0 splits in those showings.
Apr 1, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Blake Hinson (2) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He holds some really tantalizing upside as a scorer, and standing at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, he certainly has the NBA build to develop into an impactful rotational piece.
And that idea seemed to be what the Jazz were striving for surrounding Hinson's development: the 26-year-old had been with Utah all offseason, working with the rest of the roster, ready to take on his second season with the team, but his time with the roster has suddenly come to an end.
Maybe the Jazz didn't see a role opening up for Hinson with this current roster construction. Perhaps they felt as if he wasn't going to be as impactful of a player that he was at the end of last season moving forward.
However, waiving Hinson right before the new season starts feels like a head-scratching move. The Jazz could've still signed Bufkin, kept Hinson as one of their two-way signings, then maybe cut someone like Trey Alexander-- another guard-- and had what might be an even more intriguing three-man core of two-way signings.
The Jazz front office, though, has clearly gone in a different direction. Time will tell what Bufkin will be made of in his new home in Utah, and where Hinson might take his talents next. But if Hinson continues looking as productive as he did at the end of last season with his new team--wherever that may be--this decision probably won't age too well with time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/jazz/onsi as Utah Jazz's Decision to Waive Blake Hinson Is a Puzzling One .
