The Utah Jazz did everything they could to get their hands on Cooper Flagg, and it was all for naught, as they not only didn't get him, but they wound up with the worst pick possible in 2025 with the No. 5 pick. The Jazz haven't typically been ones to tank, and these results show why.
The 2025 season unofficially marked the first time the Jazz have tanked their season in hopes of getting a high lottery pick since 2014. Back then, they wound up with the same pick they will have during this draft. That pick ended up being Dante Exum, which sadly could be an omen for what's to come at the draft.
Looking at the Jazz's history, they simply are one of the unluckiest teams in the NBA when it comes to the lottery. They've never had higher than the No. 5 pick, and that trend will only continue this upcoming draft unless they somehow manage to move up.
There are two reasons why this particular lottery failure hurts Utah. One, this is the second consecutive time it has happened, and the Jazz not only fell then but also two spots, which led to them drafting the highly disappointing Cody Williams. Two, this is the furthest the Jazz have dropped in the lottery in franchise history, going down from No. 1 to No. 5.
Fans can conjure up their own conspiracy theories on why this is the case, but in the previous two seasons before this one, fans always questioned why the Jazz weren't fully embracing the tank. The answer is always the same: they just don't get lucky in the lottery.
That's not even the worst part
The worst part about all of this is that the Jazz will likely have a repeat of this next season. That was likely to happen anyway, but consider this: Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are now starting their NBA careers in the West, pending any surprises, making the conference even more cutthroat than it already was.
The Jazz will enter the 2025-26 season already considered as one of the worst NBA teams. Not even getting a top-three pick going in makes it all the more painful. The fact that they may be in this exact same position next year and it may not matter then like it did this year makes this really tough to swallow.
The one upside here is that it could be worse for the Jazz right now. They could be the Wizards.