When Austin Ainge said the Utah Jazz weren't going to tank next season, it certainly caused a stir. The initial interpretation was that perhaps that meant the plan was to win more games. However, on further inspection, it's clear that one month after he said this, what he meant was that the Jazz still plan to lose as many games as possible, but won't sit veterans like they did last season.
If the Collins trade wasn't enough proof of that, just look at some of the moves they made since Ainge's comments. Over the past few weeks, the Jazz have done the following:
-Traded Collin Sexton for Jusuf Nurkic (traded the better player for someone they will likely waive or trade down the line)
-Keep Svi Mylahiliuk over Johnny Juzang (the latter being the better player)
-Waived Jordan Clarkson (there clearly was no market for him)
-Traded John Collins for Kevin Love (may never play in Utah), Kyle Anderson (who they will probably try to flip), and a huge TPE.
All of these moves point to Utah being even worse next season. Collins, Sexton, and Clarkson were three of Jazz's five or six best players last season when the roster was at full strength. They may not have been long for Utah anyway, but their departures mean Utah will only be worse.
So technically, Jazz fans won't see the team bench their veterans like they did last season, but instead, they'll see a bad product on the floor at full health. There's no telling how many more wins they would have had if the trio of Collins, Sexton, and Clarkson appeared in more games last season, but Utah wasn't taking any chances with the elite college prospects coming in.
As tough as it was to watch, it got them Ace Bailey. Because of it, for the first time in a while, the Jazz look exciting again.
The Jazz will likely be worse this season, but a lot more fun
The Jazz's plan won't lead to a lot of wins initially, but next season, their youth should make the fans more excited about what the future holds. Looking at the initial results so far, it didn't take long for Bailey to make a statement in Utah in his two Summer League appearances in Salt Lake City.
And he's not the only one. Brice Sensabaugh continues to prove the Jazz got something in him. Kyle Filipowski looks eager to prove he's ready for a bigger role next season. Cody Williams is actually showing some signs of life. It's Summer League, but it's performances like those that give fans hope during a time when they've been quite deprived of it.
Utah will be a fun team because even if they lose more games than most, if not all, NBA teams next season, the promise from their young players should make them exciting again. Looking on the bright side, the Jazz will start to see the benefits from firmly picking a side, which frustrated their fans for years.
Sure, it won't be pretty, but at least the Jazz will tank with their integrity intact. Even if all of it is because the Jazz don't want to fork over their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, this should be an exciting season. Utah may set the franchise record for most losses in a season for the second consecutive year, but there is something more entertaining about watching an honest, organic tank.