The Memphis Grizzlies are clearly trying to start a new chapter, which opened the opportunity for the Utah Jazz to take advantage. Sure, the Jazz are still technically in their rebuild, but it's the worst-kept secret in the league that they're coming next season.
Because the Jazz and Grizzlies are trending in opposite directions, it made sense for the two to become trade partners. But keep in mind: when a team rebuilds, they don't just want draft assets; they want ones their trade partners have no influence over because those have more value. In other words, the Grizzlies wanted draft assets from the Jazz that weren't technically the Jazz's.
Because Utah had just that and then some, they pulled off the blockbuster trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. In fact, ESPN's Bobby Marks said it was the Phoenix Suns' unprotected first-round pick in 2031 that pushed them to pull the trigger.
"The deal doesn't get done... if Utah doesn't go out and get that unprotected 2031 Phoenix pick," Marks said. "They basically took a quality over quantity approach, and they traded three of their lesser firsts and that Phoenix pick became very valuable here."
The approach Marks discusses here was pretty much clear from the get-go when the deal happened, but the JJJ trade shows why teams like Utah make those savvy deals. Because when they want to strike, they know that rebuilding teams crave assets like the ones that the Suns gave the Jazz (was the rhyme intended? You decide).
Anyone with a half brain would have known that the Jazz weren't going to continue tanking by 2031, so that Suns pick being a dealt - even if they've been surprisingly resilient this season - for a star was a matter of when, not if.
The Jazz still have assets left over
Utah just used its best assets - the Suns pick, the 2027 top-4 protected Lakers pick, and the most favorable pick between them, Cleveland and Minnesota in 2027 - but that still leaves them with all their picks for the most part going forward.
That is key because that could come in handy for when they are looking to pimp their ride even more going forward. They may not necessarily get another player like Jackson, but they would be in line to get a player not too far off in terms of impact like his.
The Jazz don't have to think about this for some time, but this is how they reap the rewards from rebuilding. Besides, of course, getting young franchise cornerstones to build around. They take advantage of teams' desperation, and helps turn their tomorrow into something spectacular.
We're not going to see it until next season, but fans have every reason to believe that, in part because of the assets they've acquired over the past four years, they are in line for some truly glorious years.