Jazz Need to Achieve One Goal in Last Month of Season

The Utah Jazz have just 15 games to go in their long-spanning 2024-25 season. And while on the surface, there may not be a ton of stakes to play for, there's still a ton this team can accomplish in the final month of the season to position this rebuild in the best position possible heading into the looming offseason ahead.

At a 15-52 record, the Jazz have had no shortage of struggles in the league standings this year –– now only a game back from the last-place Washington Wizards, who stand at 14-53. It's effectively put Utah in a strong spot looking forward to this year's lottery, potentially gearing them up to get a high pick in a strong draft class.

In the eyes of The Athletic insider Tony Jones, the Jazz need to keep their foot on the gas in terms of maximizing their draft lottery odds. When lining out what Utah's biggest goal for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign should be, Jones kept things simple: "race to the bottom."

"The Jazz have never had the No. 1 pick in an NBA Draft. If they don’t get it this season, it will not be for lack of trying. But this is what has to be done for a small market team in search of the guy. And the Jazz are in search of the guy," Jones said. "They almost certainly won’t find the guy in the trade or free-agent market. So, through the draft they go. Even if they don’t get that No. 1 pick, Utah drafting in the top five should give the Jazz a real chance at finding a dynamic player. Lose, and lose royally, will be the mantra for the remainder of the season."

The Jazz have been searching for an impact playmaker to add as a spark into their rebuild for a considerable amount of time, and this year's draft will be a perfect way to do so. Yet, the best chances of achieving that goal start with enduring some bumps in the road to bottom out for the best lottery odds.

In recent weeks, the Jazz have been well aware of the assignment. Utah is coming off their eighth-straight loss to the Toronto Raptors to have the longest current losing streak in the NBA, which bodes well for their chances at hitting the bottom (or top spot) in this year's lottery chances.

It's been a year with the tank at the forefront for Utah, but the results for the Jazz's efforts are right around the corner with just over a dozen showings remaining in the regular season.

Rubber will truly meet the road for the future of the Jazz's rebuild process when the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery arrives on May 12th in Chicago, but until then, Utah should continue to do all they can to place themselves in the best spot for when that long-awaited date finally comes.

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