For the second consecutive season, the Utah Jazz are in the business of losing games. It appeared prior to the 2024 trade deadline that this year may be different. Utah was trending to make the play-in tournament, so why not play for keeps?
There couldn't be a better time with a 2024 draft class projected to be subpar and a top 10-protected 2024 first-round debt that needed to be paid to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But not so fast.
Utah duplicated what it did in 2023 by trading three players firmly cemented in its rotation for a late first- and second-round pick. In other words, Utah cashed in the season for two future G-League prospects.
To nobody’s surprise, there were reports that the deadline deals had a negative impact on the locker room. Salt Lake Tribune beat writer Andy Larsen tweeted his thoughts on what he observed after Utah’s 22-point defeat to the Golden State Warriors four days after the trade deadline.
“That might be the single most frustrated locker room I've ever seen after a game,” Larsen tweeted. “It's because it’s not just about tonight. It's about where the team is for the rest of the season.”
In the aftermath of the sell-off, Jazz GM Justin Zanik held a press conference regarding the team's thought process in the exchanges made at the deadline.
“When you look at all the other various trades, there wasn’t an impact player available that moves the needle in our timeline,” Zanik said. “And our timeline is one where we want to build around the core that we were able to keep intact, and so when you can’t [acquire a star], you also want to stay flexible.”
Those comments may be accurate, and the Jazz certainly weren't positioned to be buyers if a trade wasn't going to help them in the long term. However, it still doesn't justify sacrificing the season and Ochai Agbaji for draft compensation that doesn't amount to much.
Zanik also commented on Utah’s agenda moving forward. Specifically, he alluded to Utah’s first-round pick that's still in limbo.
“We’re not trying to design an outcome, we’re trying to know more about our team, put them in a competitive environment, which Will [Hardy] has done an outstanding job of doing, and I want to continue that,” Zanik said.
Actually, trying to design an outcome is exactly what Utah is trying to do. On Thursday, the Jazz announced their injury report for Friday night’s game versus the Atlanta Hawks. Remember, the Hawks are only one game ahead of Utah in the standings.
If Utah wants to convey the pick later rather than sooner, a loss to the Hawks will help tremendously. The Jazz will be without Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Kris Dunn heading into the contest. What sticks out is Dunn missing the game due to “rest.”
Apparently, Dunn is too tired to play on three days' rest and coming off a game where he only logged 25 minutes. The Jazz aren't trying to hide it anymore. They don't want to convey the pick this year.
Dunn should take the injury designation as a compliment. He's been fantastic this season and makes Utah much more balanced when he's on the court.
He’s by far Utah’s best on-ball defender and deserves to be in someone's rotation next year. Dunn’s contract expires this season, and whether he’ll be back in Salt Lake City next year remains to be seen.
That said, Utah benching productive players due to rest feels like a slap to a dedicated fan base amid a fun season up to the deadline. Yes, one could argue that it doesn't matter at this stage, but I'm not buying it.
When you start something, finish it. Pulling the rug out from a team that's in striking distance from the postseason two straight seasons is bad for business.
Based on what I read in our comment section and on social media, Utah's new management is losing the trust of its fans. Players are losing opportunities to gain experience in playing meaningful late-season basketball, and most importantly, the league loses credibility. In an already watered-down regular season, the NBA needs teams in playoff contention to put their best foot forward. The Jazz have no interest in such a thing.
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