The Utah Jazz will face the Minnesota Timberwolves later tonight. Any chance the Jazz go up against a team that owes them a pick is a golden opportunity to improve that pick. Minnesota is definitely no exception to this, especially since Utah owns their future.
Tonight, the Jazz will go up against an undermanned Timberwolves. Old friend Rudy Gobert has been absent, which hurts their chances enough as it is, but now, Anthony Edwards will be out, as the league just suspended him after he got his 16th technical foul last night against the Lakers.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards has been suspended for tonight’s game against the Jazz for his 16th technical foul of the season, source tells ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2025
So, the Timberwolves will be without Edwards and likely won't have either Gobert or Julius Randle when they face the Jazz tonight. It will also be on the back end of a back-to-back for Minnesota after losing to the Lakers the other night. While the Jazz may be focused more on getting the best lottery odds possible with their current record, this is a rare opportunity at their behest.
The Jazz could technically help their lottery odds in a different way if they beat the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 32-28. No matter what happens with the Jazz tonight, it will break the tie, even if only temporarily. If Utah beats Minnesota, they will become a lottery team (even if how they do in the play-in tournament ultimately determines that).
If Minnesota finishes their season as a lottery team, that is good for the Jazz, even if the odds of that pick becoming a high one are minuscule. Nights like tonight emphasize that every loss counts, which extends to teams that owe the Jazz their picks, like the Timberwolves.
Any more lottery odds are good for the Jazz. That's the bottom line. They will still likely wind up with a high lottery pick from their own abysmal record regardless of what happens against the Timberwolves, so why not take the opportunity to help their odds of getting another lottery pick from Minnesota while they have the chance?
Plus, the beauty of being one of the NBA's worst teams is that no one will lose sleep if they lose to the Timberwolves tonight. It will only further secure Utah's odds of getting a high lottery pick. There's no wrong way for the Jazz to handle their business against the Timberwolves.
In short, it's a win-win for the Jazz whether they win or lose.