After several years of post-Donovan Mitchell malaise, the Utah Jazz might finally be ready to sing a new tune.
Though the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, the buzzer has sounded for several other teams on the Association’s ledger.
As it stands, 14 teams are focused on a different kind of ball during the hardwood holidays, as ping-pong balls will decide their respective fates at the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery (May 10). This year’s draft class is stocked with prime talents that will hopefully lead these teams out of the mire, but it’s worth analyzing how they got into these situations in the first place.
With that in mind, Ballislife leads into the 2026 Draft Lottery by looking back on the voyages of the damned, going in order of top lottery odds. We head to the mountains for part four, which centers upon the Utah Jazz …
Team: Utah Jazz
Record: 22-60
Last Playoff Appearance: 2022
Chance at No. 1 Pick: 11.5 percent
What Went Wrong
The Jazz still isn’t in tune losing its lead soloist in Donovan Mitchell.
Utah was pleased enough with its post-Mitchell progress to give head coach Will Hardy an extension at the tip of last offseason but—and stop us if you’re heard this one before—was not expected to contend for anything noteworthy this time around. That feeling only exacerbated when Walker Kessler, averaging a double-double as well as a career-best in scoring and steals in the five games he played, when he was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
The Jazz, to its credit, responded to the crisis fairly well: following a stretch of four wins in six games during the first half of December, Utah sat only five games below .500, energized by the continued breakout of Keyonte George. The bottom fell out shortly after that (2-9 in the next 11), leading them to leap into the tank like some of their fellow basement-dwellers.
Utah went about its supposed tossing a little differently: some moved the spotlight on new acquisitions Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic when they were each shut down due to injuries. The Jazz, however, drew further scrutiny by removing their main men such as George and Lauri Markkanen (the co-franchise face who played just 42 games this year) after three solid quarters in certain games.
Ostensibly, this allowed some of their prospects (i.e. Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams) to receive clutch minutes but refusing to re-insert the headliners drew the Association’s attention. That turned the Jazz into a bit of an example in the NBA’s desperate attempt to squash tanking, as they were assessed a fine of a half-million … by far the harshest punishment assessed to a team accused of intentionally losing.
While Utah has assembled a decent enough core, it started to prune some of the more disappointing portions of its rebuild: Taylor Hendricks, the ninth overall pick in 2023 (chosen before Cason Wallace, Dereck Lively, and even George, who went to the Jazz later in the round), was traded to Memphis in the Jackson deal and Kyle Filipowski struggled to fill the literally large void that Kessler unintentionally left behind during the eves of a potential $92 million extension.
Top Silver Lining
While Danny Ainge was better known for his frequent swaps on the trade deadline board during his time with the Boston Celtics, his drafting alongside general manager Justin Zanek have set up a well-rounded, well-balanced team.
Surrounded by the large-looming Markkanen and the Kessler misfortune, George was a muted victim of the NBA’s 65-game rule, as his 2026 breakout probably could’ve warranted Most Improved Player consideration.
While still needing some fine tuning, top five pick Bailey was one of four rookies (a group that also included Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel) to average at least 13 points and four rebounds while also shooting at least 44 percent from the field. Late 2024 first-rounder Isaiah Collier proved to be a strong spell option for George after improving his shot rate by over seven full percentage points.
All that and more placed them in perhaps the safest position to be a simultaneous lottery team and “buyer” at the trade deadline. It’s time to see some results from their efforts, but the garage band auditions set the team up fairly well as it prepares to contend for postseason play.
Looking Ahead
With their “scheme” exposed, the Jazz opted to get a head start on the offseason with the Jackson Jr. trade, acquiring the two-time NBA All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year (which, as the Jazz’s post-Kessler injury numbers strong imply, was in desperately short supply) from the Memphis Grizzlies.
The price was steep, especially for a group for whom mid-budget purgatory is a relatively-eternal threat: Utah gave away three first-rounders (the first in 2027) as well as a maturing rookie in Walter Clayton Jr. for the right to get Jackson in purple. It’s a bold strike, however, not often seen by teams of the Jazz’s caliber and defies the tanking trend that got them punished.
Taking on Jackson’s extension signed with the Memphis Grizzlies (a $205 million load with just about a quarter coming on a 2029-30 player option) somewhat handicaps the Jazz’s ability to add too much more, but those attainable assets all carry promise: Utah will likely land a pick in the top seven and will likely be able to afford extensions with both George and Kessler, the latter of whom is a restricted free agent.
Utah was clearly a better team when it went big (and George running the point, of course) so it might make sense to double down on dominant post talent while it still can. Less certain is the fate of more seasoned post men Nurkic (up for a nine-figure extension by the end of June) and Kevin Love, but the progress in the backcourt has made such issues far more comfortable to stomach.
Is There Hope?
After several dreary dirges after Mitchell left, it does feel like the Jazz are ready to sing a more lively tune.
A team like the Jazz, which has built a solid core through the annual rookie selections, doesn’t part ways with a first round pick without the means to deem it expendable. The fact that their 2027 first-rounder was used in the Jackson deal speaks volumes about a) their faith in the coming class and b) a belief that they’re one move away from playing at least an 83rd game.
That, of course, hits a bit of a fast forward button on this process and only time will tell if the Jazz are doing it in the name of desperation. A more pessimistic approach could even suggest that they’re doing to keep the league’s nose out of its affairs, especially with its pocketbook $500,000 lighter and the next punishment likely being even heavier. But, for the first time since Mitchell’s heyday, there’s finally a reason to tune into Jazz games next season beyond hardwood hilarity. How it takes advantage of it could well be worth the late tip-offs for enthusiasts on the opposite coast.
Past Lottery Looks
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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