Some of the uncertainty is tied to how little time the Utah Jazz big man Jaren Jackson Jr. was actually available after the trade, Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune explains in the same article.
He managed to play in just three games before needing season-ending surgery to remove a growth in his left knee.
During his time in Memphis, Jackson split minutes between center and power forward, but Hardy had very limited opportunity to evaluate how he might function in different lineup combinations.
“The clarity is not great,” Hardy said. “I have my ideas. I have plenty of concepts that I think will be very good for him. But I think any coach would tell you, it all looks good on the board. You don’t want to make the team a laboratory, but you do need to test certain things.”
Reynolds also notes that Ace Bailey is projected to take on a bigger role in his second NBA season.
The organization is emphasizing strength development over the offseason so he can handle more playmaking duties and improve defensively on the perimeter.
“It’s the weight room, he’s going to live in there,” Director of basketball operations Austin Ainge said. “Anytime he can bump anyone and make a shot, he makes sure he tells me about that. So he knows he’s going to work really hard to get stronger.”
Jazz Notes: Hardy, Ainge, JJJJ, Bailey, Kessler, Nurkic, Love https://t.co/iaxfb1S2TY pic.twitter.com/L2F7jW5XMg
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 16, 2026
