3 Utah Jazz players, 3 former Utah college players make The Ringer’s list of 150 best NBA players
The Ringer recently ranked the current top 150 NBA players and three Utah Jazz players made the list.
Lauri Markkanen was the highest-ranked Jazz player on the list, checking in at No. 27 — right behind Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and right ahead of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
Markkanen, who came to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell trade, averaged 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, making his first All-Star team. He’s signed with the Jazz through the 2024-25 season.
Center Walker Kessler and guard Jordan Clarkson were paired together, with Kessler at No. 101 and Clarkson at No. 102.
Kessler, part of the Rudy Gobert trade, finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. He averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game and had the fourth-most blocks per game this season and was No. 8 in offensive rebounds per game. On his rookie contract, he’s signed through 2025-26.
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Clarkson, who’s been a fan-favorite since arriving in Utah in the 2019-20 season, averaged 20.6 points, 4.4 assists and 4 rebounds per game, but missed 18 of Utah’s last 19 games with an injury.
He has a player option next season and will decide whether to remain with the Jazz or test the open market.
Former Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was the No. 16 player on the list, Rudy Gobert slotted in at No. 52, and a pair of former Jazz players — Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley — were next to each other at No. 73 and No. 74, respectively. Former Jazzman Gordon Hayward checked in at No. 116.
Former Weber State guard Damian Lillard is ranked No. 12, former Utah forward Kyle Kuzma ranked No. 79, while former Utah center Jakob Poeltl is No. 83.
