SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz are just under two weeks away from starting training camp, with a series of young players trying to make the roster and veterans trying to make the jump from good players to great ones.

After a 38-win season last year, the Jazz are poised to compete for the playoffs in 2016, as long as the youthful roster can avoid early season miscues, and the bench can provide adequate depth in reserve minutes.

However, despite general manager Dennis Lindsey's design, the loss of Dante Exum has altered the Jazz future plans. Whereas this season should have been the launching point for a young roster's future as Western Conference contenders, fans won't see the team at full strength until 2016 when Exum returns from an ACL injury to his left knee.

If the Jazz aren't competing for home-court advantage by next season, or are still on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, don't be surprised to see key pieces on this roster looking elsewhere for a chance to compete with a more battle-tested roster. Likewise, as Lindsey has preached continuity in roster-building, he won't survive as the Jazz team builder if he's unable to construct a roster capable of a post-season appearance, and he will be forced to make serious roster changes if he again finds his team on the wrong side of the Western Conference Playoff picture.

This is a ranking of which Jazz players are likely to be mainstays with the team, safe from movement, and which could find themselves playing for another NBA franchise in the not too distant future.

Rudy Gobert

Gobert is nearly irreplaceable in the modern NBA. A legit 7-foot shot-blocker, with a superstar mentality and a skill set to match, Gobert is one of the most promising young big men in the league. On top of that, he's entering only his third season in the NBA, still on an ultra-frugal rookie contract, with the Jazz controlling his rights when his contract expires. Jazz fans should feel safe knowing Gobert will be controlling the paint for several more seasons in Utah.

Gordon Hayward

Hayward is the glue that keeps the Jazz together and might be on the verge of his first all-star appearance. Having increased his scoring by more than two points per game over the first five years of his career, he's a borderline 20 points per game scorer, capable of leading a playoff contender.

It isn't the scoring that makes Hayward unique, however. It's his ability to pass and rebound in addition to the scoring that makes him special. Only 10 players in the NBA averaged over 19 points, four rebounds and four assists last season, including Hayward, and the Jazz forward was the only one not to be selected as an all-star. The Jazz want Hayward as long as they can keep him under contract, which might not be for long if they don't make the playoffs in the next two seasons.

Dante Exum

Exum was the league's second youngest player last year, and though he had a disappointing year statistically, he earned the Jazz starting point guard job as a rookie. Exum showed flashes of brilliance as a defender and above average vision for such a young player. Exum's job isn't entirely safe as point guard, because it's arguably the most important position on the floor, and the Jazz can't wait an eternity for him to develop if he's the weak link preventing other players on this list from competing for the playoffs. Realistically, Exum is the Jazz starting point guard of the future, and they will want to highlight him as the highest drafted player on the Jazz in the Dennis Lindsey era.

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Rodney Hood

Hood, like Rudy Gobert and Dante Exum, is still on his rookie contract and has inherent value at coming in at such a low cost. Hood has the makings of an elite shooter and scorer, with prototypical size for his position. Hood had a brilliant second half to his rookie season, but a reoccurring foot injury may be cause for concern. Hood should stick with the Jazz if he can stay healthy, but the fact that he plays a similar position to Hayward, and could have enormous value on the trade market, could shorten his time as a Jazz member. Still, I'd expect him in a Jazz uniform for the foreseeable future.

Derrick Favors

Favors may seem like an obvious choice to show up earlier on this list, as he has an excellent contract, seems to fit well alongside Gobert and likes playing in Utah. Favors is just now scraping the surface of his immense potential and is a candidate for the NBA's most underrated player. However, the Jazz were already rumored to have included Favors in trade scenarios, including potentially moving up to the top spot in the 2014 draft. Favors' combination of cost, talent and slight skill set overlap with Rudy Gobert and could make him a valuable trade piece if the front office is approached with a tantalizing trade scenario.

Trey Lyles

Lyles is what the front office hopes the final lottery selection in this team's rebuilding process. Lyles is a young big man with a skill set that could make him very valuable in the modern NBA. The Jazz believe he's a far better shooter than his 14 percent three-point shooting at Kentucky indicates. He's an excellent ball handler and passer for his position, and he has solid upside for his draft position. However, unproven rookies occasionally find themselves included in trade deals if more proven talent can be had in return, or the player doesn't match the culture he was drafted into. Lyles showed enough during the Las Vegas Summer League to make me believe he'll get several years on this roster to earn his keep.

Alec Burks

Burks may be the Jazz' most difficult to trade piece as of today, with an eight-figure contract just kicking in and coming off a shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of last season. Burks production isn't quite worthy of $10-million per season, but if he comes back healthy, and can regain a knack to score the ball like he did before the injury, his contract could look like a steal.

However, if Hood continues to develop and Hayward evolves into an all-star, Burks may have more value as a trade piece than as a sixth man. Burks has a few minor concerns to his game, namely his attention to detail as a defender that could find him in the coaching staff's doghouse, or with a ticket out of town. Despite the concerns, I'd say Burke is the last player on this list that as a better-than-not shot at being a long-term piece for the Jazz.

Joe Ingles

Ingles surprised many as an addition to the roster after being cut by the Clippers before the start of the regular season in 2014. Ingles signed a contract extension with the Jazz this summer that should see him in a uniform through this year and the next. Ingles can play four positions on the floor and adds veteran leadership to the Jazz, but his versatility could be valuable to a playoff contender that finds themselves in need of a variety of skills but little money to spend. Ingles has value to the Jazz as a back up with veteran experience, but his low salary and Swiss Army Knife skill set could fetch the Jazz a more valuable future piece.

Raul Neto, Tibor Pleiss, Jeff Withey, Bryce Cotton

The Jazz are bringing in a slew of young players to training camp, all hoping to find a guaranteed contract, despite only a few open roster spots. They can carry up to 15 players, but may opt to keep a roster spot open in case of future trade opportunities. If that is the case, Chris Johnson, Elijah Millsap, JJ O'Brien, Jack Cooley and Grant Jerrett stand much chance to make the roster. That would leave Neto, Pleiss, Withey and Cotton the final four spots on the roster. While none of these four have much trade value, they could be used in salary-matching situations if a deal were to present itself, otherwise I'd predict they get at least one year auditions with the Jazz.

Trey Burke

Burke may have the most to prove of any Jazz player this season, trying to show he belongs as a rotational point guard and short-term starter in the absence of Dante Exum. Burke likely lacks the size and athleticism of a starter in the NBA, but could be a valuable back up for years to come. Burke lost his starting job halfway through the season last year and may need a change of scenery to benefit the Jazz — and benefit himself if he can't prove he's capable of helping the team take the next step. If Burke doesn't win the starting job over Neto or Cotton, he could find himself on a new roster in 2016, if not sooner.

Trevor Booker

Booker is exactly what most teams need in their big man rotation: a high-energy, high-character backup with the skill set to start in spot situations. However, the Jazz aren't most teams, with Gobert and Favors taking a majority of the minutes and young players in Pleiss and Lyles just beginning their NBA careers, it's unlikely Booker has a long-term role on this team. Through he's a better than average backup, the fact that he has only one year remaining on his deal and that he'll be a redundancy in 2016 makes him the leading candidate of all Jazz players who will see real minutes this season to continue his career with another franchise.

Ben Anderson is the co-host of Gunther in the Afternoon with Kyle Gunther on 1320 KFAN from 3-7, Monday through Friday. Read Ben's Utah Jazz blog at 1320kfan.com, and follow him on Twitter @BenKFAN.

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