Utah Jazz Mailbag: How Do Jazz Feel About Jalen Hood-Schifino?

SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag where this week we look at the recently acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino.

Each week we will send out a prompt on X and BlueSky asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.

Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s Jazz mailbag.

Jazz Mailbag: Will Team Give Jalen Hood-Schifino A Shot In Utah?

If he isn’t used in a trade in the next couple days, do you see the jazz keeping jhs and giving him a shot here?

Do you know how the jazz felt about him in the draft?

— Quinn (@Taurgon__) February 3, 2025

Question: If he isn’t used in a trade in the next couple of days, do you see the Jazz keeping Jalen Hood-Schifino and giving him a shot here?

Do you know how the Jazz felt about him in the draft?

Answer: I do think the Jazz will give Hood-Schifino a shot to prove his value assuming he’s still on the roster after the trade deadline, but he may not suit up before Thursday to avoid any potential awkwardness if he is rerouted.

If Hood-Schifino plays well, that gives the Jazz another young guard to work with heading into the offseason as they continue to flesh out their roster. If he plays poorly, it gives the Jazz a chance to lose more games as they continue to position themselves for the lottery.

What should fans expect from the newest member of the @utahjazz Jalen Hood-Schifino after Saturday’s stunning blockbuster? #TakeNote https://t.co/05oy41Fy92

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 2, 2025

Now, regarding their interest in the guard, I believe they did their due diligence on him ahead of the 2023 draft and have continued to monitor his progress since.

“I spoke to him a little bit in the draft process, I have not spoken to him since,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said about his newest player. “He was a good player in college. [He’s a] physical guard who hasn’t played very much since he’s entered the NBA.”

Hood-Schifino was a name closely tied to the Jazz in the 2023 draft due to their need for a point guard, and the fact that they had two picks in the top 16 selections.

The Jazz wound up selecting Taylor Hendricks at 10 and Keyonte George at 16, while Hood-Schifino landed with the Lakers at pick 17.

Since getting drafted, it’s been a rocky road for the Indiana product.

Hood-Schifino suffered a knee contusion during the preseason of his rookie year, which caused him to miss the first 17 games of the Lakers season.

Muscle Memory 🧠#SBLakers x @jalenhs pic.twitter.com/Im5JVgqx7A

— South Bay Lakers (@SouthBayLakers) January 27, 2024

After averaging 13 minutes per game in his first three contests in late November, the guard was held to eight minutes or fewer in his next 18 appearances before undergoing season-ending back surgery in March.

Despite strong reviews heading into his sophomore season, Hood-Schifino played poorly in the preseason and failed to crack the Lakers’ opening night rotation.

As a result, the 21-year-old appeared in just two games this season, totaling 14 minutes, before suffering a hamstring strain against the Jazz on December 1 that has kept him sidelined since.

Even with the injuries, Hood-Schifino has been a name that has hovered around the Jazz this season with NBA Inside Jake Fischer reporting that there was interest in the guard in Utah dating back to December.

Both Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks earned the praise of @utahjazz head coach Will Hardy after Saturday’s trade with the @laclippers.

“Both of those guys are representative of everything that we want to stand for.”#TakeNotehttps://t.co/SdUoe99taX

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025

Related: Jazz Acquire PJ Tucker, Mo Bamba From Clippers

Furthermore, Hood-Schifino was a name tied to the Jazz in a potential Walker Kessler trade, though the extent of those talks is unknown.

Ultimately, Hood-Schifino is a very low-cost swing for the Jazz who could use more size and playmaking in their backcourt, and I suspect they’re happy to have him.

Want to ask questions in next week’s Jazz mailbag? Give us a follow at @kslsports.

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.

Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky. 

Follow @benshoops