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Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dunks during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Utah Jazz Land Dead Last in New NBA Rankings

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 1:52 PM ET

Across this NBA offseason, the Utah Jazz have made their goals abundantly clear: stack up young talent, ship out the veterans, and use the season ahead to keep building towards the future.

For the big picture, it's exactly the type of offseason the Jazz needed going into the 2025-26 season. They added a top prospect atop the draft in Ace Bailey, added another young piece in Walter Clayton Jr., filling in next to an already appealing young core, while sending out a trio of key vets that should push the needle forward, and get this team on the right track to success after three-straight losing seasons.

However, when looking at how the events of next season could pan out for the Jazz, the short-term outlook doesn't appear too optimistic for the Jazz's success next season.

In fact, within ESPN's Zach Kram's latest NBA power rankings following the bulk of this offseason now wrapping up, the Jazz found themselves at the bottom of the barrel when stacking up the best and worst teams around the league, residing as the 30th-ranked team on the board.

"Utah traded Collin Sexton and John Collins for light returns and waived Jordan Clarkson, meaning three of the top five scorers from the 2024-25 Jazz will play elsewhere in 2025-26," Kram wrote, "That means plenty of opportunities for rookies Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr., as well as their other young teammates -- and a whole lot more losses in the process."

In the midst of the Jazz making their tough decisions on Collin Sexton, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson, Utah now finds itself essentially with a group led by Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and a bundle of first, second, and third-year players in a brutal Western Conference.

For the Jazz's lottery hopes next summer, along with allowing this young talent to get extensive reps and more opportunity on the floor, that landscape of the roster bodes well. But, against the other 29 teams, that inexperience and youth places Utah as one of, if not the worst, team in the NBA for the second-straight season, but this time without needing as much deliberate tanking in the process.

Especially considering a potentially generational draft class might be in the Jazz's line of sight come next offseason with headliners like Darren Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer among the best on the board, navigating to a similar spot in the standings as they saw this past season appears to be in their best interest–– as it could be what leads to the Jazz landing another key and much-needed cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

And in the case of Utah, who could have their first-round pick land in the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder next summer if it falls outside of the top eight, maximizing lottery odds to prevent that from unfolding will be critical.

Simply put, the Jazz could be a bumpy few months ahead come next regular season, but for a young, budding core like Utah has and wants to continue to build, this could be exactly the type of year Utah needs for the long-term vision.