The Utah Jazz didn't tank as blatantly as they did last year, but they still did everything in their power to avoid the worst-case scenario: forking over their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Well, they just got the best news possible: because they won the coin flip, they get the fourth-best lottery odds, meaning their pick won't go to Oklahoma City.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/xwSJfpkaf5
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 20, 2026
For more context, they were tied with the Sacramento Kings, who inexplicably went on a late-season semi-tear that put the Jazz in a better position, for the fourth-worst record in the league. A coin flip would decide who would get better odds.
If the Jazz got the fourth-best odds, the worst they would do at the lottery is get the No. 8 pick. Obviously, no one wants that, but it's better than if they got the fifth-best odds, where there would be a chance it would become the No. 9 pick.
Now that that's no longer a possibility, Utah will retain their pick no matter what.
It gets better too
Because of the ill-fated Derrick Favors trade, the Jazz put themselves in position to convey a lottery pick to the Thunder for the last few years. However, 2026 was the last year of eligibility for it to convey, meaning the Jazz are free while the Thunder will get nothing.
Now, Utah can do whatever it wants from here. It wouldn't have been the worst fate in the world to earnestly try and lose a pick to OKC if it was eligible to be conveyed next season, but hey, Utah should be very grateful for its good fortune.
We've seen the rich get richer in the NBA, which has to led NBA championships. The Jazz would have loved a do-over with the Favors trade, but at least the worst-case scenario is no longer on the table.
But it doesn't mean they won't have bad lottery luck
Alright, so this does not eliminate the notion that Utah may not be so lucky with the lottery. Infact, by ensnaring the fourth-best odds, the Jazz are most likely to get the No. 6 pick in the draft with a 27.1% chance of getting it.
Strangely enough, having the fourth-best odds actually gives them the same odds at a top-four pick as Sacramento. It's very possible that the Kings will have the last laugh in the end. It doesn't matter though because the Jazz will gladly take keeping their pick more than anything.
With everything they've built for the team going forward, Utah may have very well retained the last piece of their championship puzzle.
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