The Utah Jazz are one of the worst NBA teams in the league. However, what's happened this season is a result that plenty saw coming ahead of time, so it's not like the losses that have piled up have come as a total shock.
There is a benefit to low expectations going in. The Jazz have so many options of where to go from here, and they can fully evaluate what their best options are with no pressure. Because of that, several subplots have
5. The Jazz improved their draft capital
When people thought the Jazz would be sellers at the NBA trade deadline, they thought that meant their priority was to trade John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson. Maybe that was a priority, but their main priority was to improve their future more than anything else.
They did that—just not in the way that people would have expected. The Jazz made quite the splash when they traded three first-round picks for a golden one from Phoenix when they sent over their 2031 pick unprotected. Given how much uncertainty will engulf the Suns until they act, this trade could pay massive dividends six years later.
But then again, the Jazz had a golden asset from the Lakers thanks to the Russell Westbrook trade from 2023. That's all out the window now that the Lakers have Luka Doncic. Maybe the same happens with the Suns, but they don't have to worry about that for a while.
4. John Collins has bounced back
Following a pretty bad first year with the Jazz, Collins came into the season perceived to have negative trade value. What's been most impressive is not just that he's bounced back well enough to almost get traded at the deadline but that he took very little time to re-establish it.
Collins is putting up his most efficient numbers in years, proving why the Jazz were right to get him when they had the chance and why teams will regret passing on him. Sure, he doesn't fit with their current timeline, but the example he sets both on the court and in the locker room has proven himself an all-around positive influence for the Jazz.
The Jazz could have taken the loss and moved on, but opting to see where things go with him led to his resurgence. His inspiring play has also made Utah fun to watch, even if they don't win often.
3. Isaiah Collier looks like a franchise staple
When most people talk about the Jazz nowadays, the most popular subject is the recent rise of Isaiah Collier.
Isaiah Collier, 20, has averaged 8.1 APG over his last 20 games. He’s the fourth rookie in the last ten years (and the first in Jazz franchise history) to average 8+ APG over a 20-game span. The tape is impressive: pic.twitter.com/dgO4JySr6N
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) February 9, 2025
He didn't hit the ground running, but once Collier had his breakout game against the Nets, he hasn't looked back. He came to the Jazz hyped up as a steal, and he's looked much more like it as he's gotten his NBA feet wet. He hasn't been as good as, say, rookie Donovan Mitchell, but Collier has looked like the point guard of the future for Utah.
With the Jazz potentially moving on from Clarkson and Sexton, Collier showing that he can shoulder the workload is a major development for the Jazz's long-term aspirations.
2. Walker Kessler took a major step forward
Much like Collins, Kessler has bounced back following a disappointing, but while Collins has gone back to playing at the caliber of player he was back when he played for the Hawks, Kessler has taken another step forward. While re-establishing himself as one of the league's better rim protectors, Kessler has been more of a two-way force.
The Jazz will never count on him as a go-to scorer, but Kessler has become a threat because he's efficient in the post and gobbles up offensive rebounds. He knows where to be when the Jazz run their offense, which should make it so that they can play him in crunchtime.
Following an offseason where there was plenty of doubt about what Kessler's long-term ceiling was, Utah showed their faith in him, and he's rewarded them for that. Like Collier, Kessler has shown that he should be part of Utah's long-term plans.
1. The Jazz picked a lane this season
What's been frustrating about the Jazz the previous two seasons is they were too good to be bad but too bad to be good. After a few months of solid play, they would trade a few veterans away from their rotation, but not all of them, and that was a problem because it would affect their lottery odds.
Well this season, it's been different. While it's not like the Jazz have been shamefully bad, they have been bad enough that they've left virtually nothing to chance. They are firmly one of the worst teams in the NBA, and that's good for them because of the talent that's coming out of the 2025 NBA Draft class.
Utah has wanted to be bad, but they've also wanted to see who in their crop of young talent is worth keeping. For that, this season has gone exactly how they would have liked. They have promising young talent, and adding a potential franchise player to that should only give more hope for what the future holds.