Every Utah Jazz fan knows by now that the team is in danger of losing its pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls out of the top eight. The notion of the rich getting richer is already scary enough, but why it's particularly scary is that the Thunder have shown that no matter where they pick, they tend to strike gold.
Utah is stuck between a rock and a hard place because while there is a case for them to try to show progress almost four years after blowing it up, but if they show some, but not a lot of progress, that puts the Thunder in line to get the No. 9 pick in a loaded draft.
Something that everyone should know by now is that just because a team gets a high lottery pick doesn't automatically mean they will get a franchise player from it. The Jazz know this as their highest picks from 2023 and 2024 haven't exactly looked like that (or anything close, really). However, in OKC's case, it's different.
Make no mistake, Sam Presti can draft. A lot of why the Thunder are where they are right now is because of their homegrown talent. However, the only high lottery pick among their players is Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick, who is important to their success, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the No. 11 pick, while Jalen Williams was the No. 12 pick.
That's only their current players. Presti also hit three consecutive bullseyes when he drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden from 2007 to 2009. Don't forget that he also drafted Serge Ibaka late in the first round in 2008. It's downright stupefying OKC didn't win a title then, but they've made up for it because they are the reigning champions and somehow look even more unbeatable.
Utah has the chance to make sure they don't become even more fortified. Or, more specifically, the Jazz themselves can make sure they don't help OKC doesn't become more fortified.
Losing more could also make another Thunder asset less valuable
The Jazz aren't the only team that could give OKC a golden asset when the season's done and away with. The Clippers are in an even worse position than the Jazz because they will give their pick to the Thunder no matter what.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the Clippers are 6-18, tied for the third-worst record in the West. The Jazz, however, are only 8-15, which isn't too far behind the Clippers. If they decide to embrace the tank, that could help make that pick all the less valuable to the Thunder.
It may not matter anyway, because there's a solid chance LA will give OKC a top-10 pick, which may be enough to set them up for the next two decades. However, in all fairness, it's only the Jazz's pick the owe the Thunder that's really their problem. When the Jazz become a title contender again, the Thunder will likely be waiting for them, but at the very least, the Jazz should ensure they didn't play a part in keeping the Thunder at the top.