Utah
Two Jazz Players Set to Suit Up for Summer League
The Utah Jazz’s summer league roster won’t be as loaded with young talent as it has been across the last couple of offseasons.
With the Jazz’s young names around the team such as Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier, and Brice Sensabaugh having clearly graduated from those reps thanks to their gradual development, it leaves this year’s group in July inevitably slated to look a little different than fans have been accustomed to as of late.
However, according to Chandler Holt of KSL Sports, two players on the Jazz’s roster stick out to have a strong chance of being a part of this year’s summer league group come time for July: second-year wing Ace Bailey and the number-two overall pick, whoever that ends up being.
200 percent chance.
We will see the rookie and Ace Bailey year two first looks in July, https://t.co/Nx4Cx1cvYA
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) May 24, 2026
Ace Bailey, No. 2 Pick Slated to Play in Summer League
It’s not a major surprise that the Jazz’s incoming rookie— even with a draft stock as high as second overall— will at least get some portion of the reps during summer league.
Looking back to last summer, and even as far back as 2023’s stint with Victor Wembanyama taking the floor for just two games, the most highly touted rookies in the class are bound to get some type of run during those live reps that are hard to replicate, regardless of whether the stretch of games played is extremely short.
The Jazz will be no different with their top pick. And perhaps in a bit of a bigger surprise, he’ll more than likely be joined by Utah’s fifth-overall pick from 2025, Ace Bailey, for what will be the first appearance on the floor for his second year as a pro, and his second time ever appearing in the summer league.
Bailey showed a ton of upside and growth during his first season in the fold with the Jazz, especially towards the end of the year when he was able to claim a good chunk of the offensive responsibility while the lineup was depleted.
By just looking at Bailey’s averages in the month of March, he was playing 30 minutes a night to shoot up to 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 45.3% shooting from the field.
Following that strong end to the season, the Jazz might want to see more of Bailey in a role as the primary scoring option on the floor, albeit in a summer league setting that has stark differences from an NBA regular season contest.
However, with a few months of offseason work under his belt, fans could be in line to get a glimpse of a wildly improved Bailey, which wouldn’t be the most shocking development after how he found his stride and confidence offensively following February’s All-Star break.
Could both Bailey and that top draft selection end up playing a brief two-game stretch before the Jazz put them on the shelf?
It’s very possible, especially considering Utah will want to keep the key fixtures of this roster both healthy and prepared for a bounce-back 2026-27 campaign. The Jazz did something similar with Brice Sensabaugh last year as they decided to rest him midway through their summer league slate after his electric start in Salt Lake City.
But at the very least, those in-game reps can always help out young players in a big way when they’re available, either in the summer league or in a regular-season outing. So expect the Jazz and their fans to take advantage of those with two of their most pivotal pieces for the future.
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Utah
Gusty thunderstorms possible statewide on Memorial Day
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah Memorial Day weather statewide starts with partly cloudy skies and pleasant temperatures. As the morning progresses, clouds and light showers will increase across southeast Utah.
Stronger showers and thunderstorms are likely over the south-central mountains from I-70 south from midday through the afternoon.
Storms will produce gusty winds and lightning, but rainfall generally will remain light except over the highest terrain.
Showers will move north through the afternoon across mainly eastern Utah, though a few storms may develop over western Utah.
Once again, gusty winds are possible with these generally dry storms.
Showers are possible over the Uinta Mountains by late evening.
Strong southerly winds are the next weather event in the forecast, beginning Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday across western and southwest Utah.
Critical fire danger remains the main threat as the winds continue drying out already dry vegetation.
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Utah
NBA Rumors: New lottery rule helps Utah, hurts Grizzlies
The top-five pick rule will date back to 2025. The Utah Jazz picked fifth in 2025 and second in 2026. Under the new rule, they can’t land in the top five in 2027.
But the Jazz traded that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in February for Jaren Jackson Jr., which means Memphis won’t be able to receive it since streaks will be triggered by the original team, not the team holding the pick. Two issues here.
First, the framework. The NBA explains this rule under a section titled “Pick Restrictions For Repeat Lottery Winners.” Is landing the fifth pick really a winner? One year ago, the Jazz were distraught when their pick landed fifth, because the true franchise-changers that teams want to win are commonly landed with the first or second pick. In the future, if a team ends up fifth one year, then fourth the next, should they really be punished for landing first in the third year? Or even fifth again? I would argue no, that the top-five rule reaches too far.
I am understanding of wanting to prevent a team from picking first in consecutive years. But anything beyond that feels like a massive overreach that could cause more problems than intended when the goal is supposed to be to eliminate tanking.
Second, there’s the reality that the Jazz did trade that pick. Now the Grizzlies have it — through the rights of a pick-swap structure. But if this rule passes, Memphis wouldn’t be able to receive an unprotected pick. Grizzlies fans would obviously be crushed by the news. This pick was the most valuable of the assets Memphis got back for one of its stars, and it happened under a set of rules that didn’t include a three-year streak cap. That Jazz-to-Grizzlies pick is being retroactively devalued because of a league’s arbitrary decision to start the clock in 2025, but it also gives us an example of what could happen in future years to any team.
Utah
Utah father now accused of abusing 2 teen girls
EAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain father accused of abusing a teenage girl is now accused of also abusing the girl’s older sister.
Julio Cesar Mena, 51, was charged earlier this week in 4th District Court with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony. He is accused in that case of forcibly shaving off his 14-year-old daughter’s hair because he was angry with her grades at school.
When questioned by police, Mena claimed he did the same thing to his oldest daughter, “and it fixed the problem,” a police booking affidavit says.
On Thursday, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced that Mena is now also being held in jail for investigation of aggravated child abuse and another crime in connection with a 17-year-old girl.
The girl told police that a couple of years ago, “Mena physically restrained her, dragged her around their residence in Eagle Mountain by her hair, and used electric hair clippers to shave her head nearly bald. The victim advised Mena told her he cut her hair because he wanted her to feel ashamed, embarrassed, and wished for her to be bullied by her classmates at school,” a new police booking affidavit states.
“She mentioned that she stopped eating food and started losing weight due to a fear of having to interact with her father while preparing meals in the kitchen at their residence. The victim also advised she became extremely fatigued due to a lack of sleep as a result of trying to stay awake just in case her father entered her room to throw cold water on her randomly,” the affidavit states.
The teen also revealed an additional incident of abuse in 2021, according to the affidavit.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is “possible and safe.” Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
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