The Utah Jazz's Quietest Offseason Decision May Be Their Most Important

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The Utah Jazz's Quietest Offseason Decision May Be Their Most Important

Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; (from left to right) Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik speak before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jared Koch · Utah Jazz On SI

Thu, Aug 27, 2026 ·

3 min read

Why the Jazz's Josh Okogie Signing Is So Important

The Jazz, after the dust had settled surrounding their Kessler situation and their sign-and-trade deal, went out to go make another signing after their first veteran acquisition of center Jaxson Hayes : that was to sign Okogie.

And that was a free agency move that, with the Jazz's recent history in mind, was not only largely important, but widely expected.

The Jazz's defense had been porous for multiple seasons as they've been actively rebuilding, and adding experienced, versatile perimeter defenders was a much-needed step towards getting that side of the ball to turn around in the right direction.

Okogie is just that, and comes in on an extremely affordable, flexible contract.

He spent this past season with the Houston Rockets playing in 78 games, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and nearly one assist a night in a little over 17 minutes played per game. Okogie also shot a pretty efficient 38.5% from three on over two attempts per night; the best three-point percentage he's seen through his career.

Apr 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie (20) handles the ball against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Okogie's $12 million deal over two years signed back in July comes out to just a $6 million AAV, which comes in tied for the Jazz's ninth-highest-paid salary on the roster this season-- pairing right next to Hayes' $12 million deal.

On top of that, both of Okogie and Hayes' contracts have a team option in the second year of the deal. Meaning, if either player doesn't stand out as expected this coming season, the Jazz can decline their option in the 2027 offseason, and wipe their hands clean of their salary for the 2027-28 campaign.

For Okogie, the goal is for him to stay onboard for the next two years as someone who can raise their floor defensively . So that team option might just be accepted by the time next summer rolls around, especially if the Jazz's defensive rating can finish higher than the bottom two teams in the league for the first time in three seasons.

But Okogie's new contract and its terms are simply another reason why his signing was a massively important move for the Jazz to make, and could shape up to be a major win for the short and long-term outlook of this roster moving forward.

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