Since the offseason commenced, the Utah Jazz have wasted no time getting to work, and by that, we mean trimming all the fat possible. Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Johnny Juzang were all gone within a 24-hour timespan. The obvious conclusion is that they're "organically tanking." While that's about as true as it's expected, they are also ensuring they don't give their first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder next season.
That's right, the Jazz could very well lose their first-round pick to the reigning NBA Champions next season. For context, the Jazz traded Derrick Favors to the Thunder in 2020. The pick could have been conveyed last year, but since it was top-10 protected for the last two years, Utah has retained it.
This upcoming season, it's different, as it's now top-eight protected. For anyone familiar with the lottery odds, To eliminate that possibility, the Jazz must finish with a bottom-three record, thus giving no chance that they could end up with the No. 8 pick. Also, if it doesn't convey in 2026, the Jazz no longer have any first-round pick obligations with OKC.
So, while the Jazz may have been the NBA's worst team, they also blatantly tanked games to get the best lottery odds possible. Austin Ainge said Utah's not going to do that again, but that would have meant Sexton and Clarkson playing more games, which could have affected where they finish in a season where many teams are expected to tank.
With the threat of OKC taking a lottery pick hanging over Utah's heads, the Jazz made it clear right away that they weren't taking any chances. While Sexton's and Clarkson's trade values likely wouldn't have improved, they could have rolled the dice by keeping them to bank on the idea that maybe teams would offer more at the trade deadline. The Jazz clearly weren't interested in taking that route.
Getting them off the team by any means necessary also signified that the Jazz understandably want to maintain cap flexibility, like pretty much everyone else would.
So who's next?
The obvious candidate is John Collins, who is coming off his best year as a pro in years and much like Sexton and Clarkson, doesn't appear to have much of a future in Utah. The Jazz might not get much value out of him with his expiring deal, but all eyes will be on what the team does with them.
The more ambiguous candidates are Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler. Markkanen is the only proven star on the Jazz's roster (though Ace Bailey could have something to say about that not too long from now) and while he could be had, it's been clear that the Jazz will only trade him if they get a haul for him like they did with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
Kessler is even more ambiguous because, while he, too, could be acquired, he has a better chance of sticking around simply because he's younger and has the time to grow on a young team, even if he isn't exactly what one would consider to be young.
The Jazz likely got rid of Sexton, Clarkson, and Juzang first because they were considered the most expendable. Collins might be on that level of expendability as well, but the difference is that he may have an actual market where Utah could get something in return for him.
While the Jazz did not and may get good returns for some of their veterans, they're finally making the moves everyone anticipated they would. It may not be too exciting, but at least the title of this offseason's story so far has been "Out with the old, in with the new."