While many understood why the Utah Jazz had to get rid of their veterans this offseason, those same people take issue with how they did it. Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins are all good players who weren't badly overpaid, yet Utah got next to nothing for them. While that may not be preferable, The Athletic's Tony Jones explained that because of what the Jazz had at stake, they fared pretty well by simply getting rid of them.
Jones gave the Jazz a B for their offseason overall (this was before the Georges Niang trade, by the way). He gave credence to the notion that Utah didn't get anything for them. However, ensuring that they're bad next season was their primary goal, and they accomplished it by trading them.
"I think a lot of people are focusing on having to essentially give Collin Sexton away and allow Jordan Clarkson to walk for nothing in return. And, for sure, it’s not ideal that the Jazz didn’t get much, if anything, for two good players. But this offseason was about clearing runway for the Jazz to again be one of the worst teams in the league, in order to put themselves in position to keep their pick in the 2026 draft next season," Jones wrote.
Jones then revealed more context on the situation, mentioning the consequences that came from the Derrick Favors trade in 2020.
"Remember, that pick is owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, top 8 protected. So, the Jazz have to be one of the worst eight teams in the league next season. And that is what this offseason was about. In that sense, they accomplished that," Jones wrote.
The Jazz were going to tank anyway, but the Thunder potentially taking their pick gave them even more incentive to do so. That's why the goal wasn't to cash in on those three, but to get rid of them by any means necessary.
They didn't get the best packages back, in fact they got no package back for Clarkson whatsoever, but now they can embrace the organic tank.
The other alternative was much worse
While many would have preferred Utah get some value out of the three veterans they dumped, not only was that not an option, but there was another option that everyone involved would have hated: keeping them. It would have further clogged the roster and confused everyone even more than the Jazz have done for the past three years.
No one would have approved of that especially after Austin Ainge made it clear fans would not see a repeat of the awful spectacle they had to watch last season. In short, even if the Jazz didn't really get much for their veterans, it could have been worse.
For that reason, Jones' grade is actually more accurate than people think.