Jazz Insider's 2024 -25 Forecast Confirms Fans' Worst Fear

It's still not completely clear what approach the Utah Jazz will take as we inch closer to the 2024-25 season, but if the plan was to make it to the postseason, they're running out of time to make a big move.

There's been closure on most of the big-name free agents this offseason. Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Mikal Bridges, and Dejounte Murray will suit up in a different uniform next season. There also have been rumblings that Brandon Ingram or Deandre Ayton is on the trade block, but I'm not sure at this point those are names worth sacrificing draft position in what's projected to be a loaded 2025 draft.

So, what's next for the Jazz? According to Salt Lake Tribune Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen, the Jazz are a team that's trending not to make a push to take a big jump in the standings as they enter the third year of their rebuild. Larsen shared his thoughts on ESPN 700 The Drive with Spence Checketts

“I think it’s clear that if the Jazz were trying to build a better playoff-contending team for next year, you know, they would have done something that extends beyond Drew Eubanks. They would have tried Haywood Highsmith or anyone of these role players that may have kind of have added additional wings and we haven’t seen that.”

It's @AndyBLarsen on Jazz offseason, potential moves, Summer League, #RSL + more https://t.co/48WaRc6Vut
— ESPN 700 & 92.1 FM (@ESPN700) July 8, 2024

The anti-tank crowd got their hopes up after Jazz CEO Danny Ainge hinted that Utah was in a position to go Big-Game Hunting in his post-season press conference. However, Ainge prefaced that statement with the possibility of Utah pivoting into another year where development takes precedence over winning if the right opportunity didn't present itself.

"Our mindset is that we're doing only [what we can] to try to win. That's our only objective until we get to July. If we don't land anything, we don't make any deals, we don't land anything, then our direction could change at that moment, and [we will] wait until the next time we can try to build a roster," per Danny Ainge.

If winning isn't high on the priority list, then the next question is whether they can tank the 2024-25 season with Lauri Markkanen on the roster. The answer is a resounding yes. Where it stands today, the Jazz will have six players heading into the new season with one year or less experience.

Also, the Jazz finished the season 1-7 with Markkanen on the court after last year's All-Star game. and these are games that Collin Sexton played in as well. Unless the likes of Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, or Brice Sensabaugh can take an enormous leap in development in year two, Jazz fans can anticipate the losses to pile up.

If there's a year where losing is winning, this could be the one. The 2025 draft class will be loaded with blue-chip prospects led by University of Duke's Cooper Flagg, but even if the Jazz do bottom out, the odds of getting the No. 1 pick are slim. Flagg will be the consensus No. 1 pick, and the franchise that compiles the most losses will only have a 14% of landing Flagg.

With those odds, the debate on whether tanking is the right approach will continue on the Jazz social media front. Let's hope that whatever the Jazz decides, they won't switch gears at the trade deadline like they have done in the past.

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