SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – There are no less than ten players 23 years of age or younger currently on the Utah Jazz roster. So for veterans like Jordan Clarkson, they know their role as leaders is invaluable.

“Every young guy looks up to us,” the 11-year veteran Clarkson said at Media Day Monday. “They know who John Collins is. They know Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and on down the line. At this point, I think we are all moving into a giving back to the game mentality for what’s coming behind us.”

While players like Clarkson, Collin Sexton and John Collins will still get a lot of minutes this season, helping the younger guys like Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski grow is very important.

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“Being a leader is a is a trait that I feel like I carry each and every day,” said Sexton. “It’s something that I keep on my shoulders. I feel like this year I’ll be able to have more of a louder voice, and be able to help the younger guys.”

“We love to being basketball players first, but leading, for me, is so innate and so natural,” said Collins. “I do want to have a big part in all of their futures. One day, when they’re getting interviewed, I want to I want them to say, ‘hey, John Collins was one of my favorite vets that I had.”

But just because the Jazz are going with a youth movement, including three more rookies this year, that doesn’t mean the Jazz won’t be competitive. They still think this team can get back to the playoffs.

“I feel like people forget the roster that we do have, and the guys that we do have are really good,” Sexton said. “So even though we are so-called rebuilding, I feel like we can surprise a lot of people.”

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“As a competitor, I don’t think there’s a player in the NBA that goes into the season just being OK, let’s see how it goes,” said leading scorer Lauri Markkanen. “I think everybody’s competitive, and when you go out there you’re trying to win.”

Fresh off of signing a five-year, $238-million contract extension this summer, Markkanen is officially the face of the franchise.

“It could have been stressful,” Markkanen said about the negotations. “But it wasn’t really for me. I was able to go home and hang out with my family. So now I get to focus on playing and getting better and pushing my teammates. That’s that’s a good feeling for sure.”

“I don’t want to curse, but that mother-(expletive) in the military,” Clarkson said to a loud laugh. “That’s an honest answer. He’s ready for whatever.”

The Jazz begin the preseason Friday at home against the New Zealand Breakers.

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