Utah Jazz
1 Problem: What do the foundational parts around Lauri Markkanen look like?
To be perfectly honest, it's hard to be impressed about any players the Utah Jazz have surrounded Lauri Markkanen with over the past two seasons. The most consistent supporting players that the Jazz currently have around Markkanen are Collin Sexton, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson. Each of those players has been linked to other teams on the trade market. At this point, it's hard to suggest that the Jazz has any sort of young core that they can bet on moving forward. If that cruel reality hasn't hit Utah yet, it may in the next few months.
Before the NBA Trade Deadline, this is a team that has to figure out what the future is going to look like around Markkanen. Under the assumption that they are going to take on the role of a seller, the Jazz has a ton of uncertainty in their future. Respectfully, this is the Jazz's biggest problem in their build - it's unclear what the team has or doesn't have around Markkanen at this point. Unless this is sorted out soon, the franchise might as well pivot toward a complete rebuild which would culminate in trading Markkanen.
Washington Wizards
1 Problem: Is there any issue with keeping Jordan Poole on the roster?
The Washington Wizards have predictably been the worst team in the NBA so far this season. That's not all that surprising. However, as the team continues to pivot toward a full-blown rebuild, this is a team that may need to figure out whether keeping a player like Jordan Poole is going to have an impact on what a young core of the future may look like. Again, it may be a bit premature to start thinking about this possibility, but the Wizards are likely going to select what could be the new face of the franchise at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft.
The last thing that the Wizards need is for non-foundational players to stunt the growth of what the team hopes to be an entirely new and exciting build. If the Wizards believe this could end up being the case, this is a front office that will have their hands full heading into the NBA Trade Deadline and early on in the offseason.