It was only a couple of weeks ago when the Utah Jazz opted to make a big decision regarding the future of Isaiah Collier.

Rather than going on to accept Collier's fourth-year team option worth $4.9 million, the Jazz decided to decline that option for next offseason, thus leaving him set to be an unrestricted free agent this coming summer, and potentially marking the beginning of the end of his time with Utah.

The Utah Jazz will decline their team option on Isaiah Collier worth $4.99 million for the 2027-28 season, sources told @hoopshype. Collier has averaged 9.9 points, 6.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in three seasons. He’ll be a coveted unrestricted free agent. pic.twitter.com/NDguwgdJVo

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 2, 2026

And at the time, the decision to decline Collier's option made some sense. Collier was underperforming to start the season, had been in and out of the rotation, and Utah had other young guards to rely on within their backcourt like Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson.

However, in just a few games, Collier has begun to turn those numbers around in a big way–– so much so that he might have the Jazz thinking twice about their decision to potentially let him go at the end of the 2026-27 season.

How Isaiah Collier's Stock Has Been on the Rise

Now, Collier has still had some hiccups through the first few games of the Jazz's season–– as have many around the roster en route to their 1-11 start.

However, there's no doubt that Collier has performed significantly better from where he stood after the first five games on the schedule.

Then, he was averaging just 7.4 points on 33.3% shooting from the field with a 2.5 AST-to-TO ratio; not exactly the most efficient or the most effective piece of the Jazz's backcourt rotation, all things considered.

But his numbers have taken a step in the right direction since then, particularly as it relates to his scoring. His field goal percentage is back up to 45.3%, with a much-better-looking 35.7% from three-point range.

Playmaking-wise, Collier has still proven to have room to grow, as his assist numbers have tanked to just 4.1 a game, which is far less than the 7.2 he was averaging throughout the 2025-26 campaign. He's also paired that with 2.0 turnovers a night.

However, Collier's assist totals have also struggled to reach their previous heights because of the smaller dose of playtime he's seen compared to the last two seasons. He's seeing just 16 minutes a night compared to the 25-plus he saw in years one and two.

Per 36 minutes, though, Collier is right on par with the same assist numbers from last year; averaging 9.2 assists across the first 12 games of this season, compared to the 10.0 he saw during his sophomore campaign.

So Collier is scoring at a more efficient rate, playmaking at close to the same level, and providing some backcourt depth in a pinch for a team that has just two members of the roster who stand out as reliable point guards in George and Peterson.

🗣️ BACK-TO-BACK THREES FOR ZAY @deltacenter is rocking 🏡#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/9T1ejoBIpa

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 11, 2026

On the surface, it feels as if Collier is a player that the Jazz could keep around for longer than this season, and still find value in his services. Especially if Utah were to sign him onto a contract for less than $5 million for the season, his presence could become even more valuable on the roster.

Instead, the Jazz have already sealed Collier's fate as a free agent at the end of this season. He could be in to command for more than that $5 million that Utah could've signed him for, and walk from the franchise for nothing in return.

Bottom Line

So was it a mistake to decline Collier's fourth-year team option? Perhaps it's too early to tell for the Jazz. A long season is still ahead, and Collier's stock is prone to fluctuating further than it has already through just 12 games.

However, based on how his game has been trending as of late, it's fair to question whether Utah is second-guessing their decision to not retain their 22-year-old guard on an affordable contract for one more year.

Because right now, there's a chance he could be set to land more on the open market with another team in just a few months’ time, and ultimately prove the Jazz wrong for declining the final year of his rookie deal.