Jazz Most Likely Path to Relevance Revealed per Insider

If the Utah Jazz are going to be relevant in the near future, this is the most likely method.

Apr 28, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith speaks with Utah Jazz CEO of / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

With the Utah Jazz entering the third year of their rebuild, the pressure is starting to mount on making some progress in building a team that can contend for a championship. Jazz CEO Danny Ainge did hint to Utah’s fan base that acquiring a player who can move the needle will be on the agenda this offseason.

So, what is the most logical path in obtaining a player that can take the Jazz to another level? According to The G-League Utah Stars play-by-play announcer Tony Parks, the most likely method for the Jazz to take that next step isn't via free agency or trade, but it's through the draft. Parks shared his thoughts when he joined The Drive with Spence Checketts on ESPN 700.

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“I’ve always felt like it’s going to have to come through the draft,” Parks said. “I’ve always felt like you’re going to have to build that together. The picks that you use may help you. The picks that you use may help you climb the ladder in the draft to get premier players in the draft, even if that’s just one spot.”

These comments are a dose of reality for fans of a small-market team in the NBA. Improving a team through free agency is tough for the Jazz. Even acquiring players via trade runs some risk, too.

The Jazz acquired players like Lauri Markkanen or Collin Sexton through trade, who are great additions, but Sexton becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026 and Markkanen in 2025. There's no guarantee that getting this type of talent via trade will make them stick around for the long term.

Right now, it feels like the Jazz are stuck between a rock and a hard place. With rostered players like Sexton and Markkanen, the Jazz are too good to bottom out for a top-4 pick. Also, their ceiling is just making the play-in tournament at this stage.

It’s still plausible that Utah can hit a home run in an upcoming draft. There’s a 26.2% chance of landing in the top 4 if the ping pong balls fall their way in the upcoming draft lottery. That would be a huge shot to the arm for a franchise that hasn't had a top-4 selection since taking Enis Kanter in 2011.

There are also plenty of examples of franchise changers who were drafted outside the top 10. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Nikola Jokic were drafted by small-market teams and led their teams to a championship. The Jazz have also faired well outside the top ten, with Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Andrei Kirilenko, John Stockton, and Karl Malone heading the list.

Truth be told, the Jazz are going to need some luck come their way to become a contender in the near future. Whether it’s drafting a player with a later pick or leapfrogging to a top selection via lottery, something unforeseen will have to happen. 

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