There was a time when it felt like the Minnesota Timberwolves were a hot spot for Utah Jazz alumni. Two seasons ago, they had four notable ex-Jazzmen on their roster: Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Joe Ingles, and Johnny Juzang, making them the "Minnesota Jazz." That has since changed, as it seems the Los Angeles Lakers have usurped them in this regard.
The Lakers have added Walker Kessler, as everyone in Utah should know by now. However, they have also added Collin Sexton to their squad, which already had obscure Jazzman Jarred Vanderbilt on the roster.
By doing so, they have taken the Timberwolves' mantle as the NBA team that has the most Jazz alumni. Minnesota has also lost Alexander-Walker, Conley, and Ingles over the past year, making the equation easier.
What does this all prove? Not much, besides being a fun fact. However, the Lakers are trying to win, and believe Kessler and Sexton (not so much Vanderbilt) will help in that regard. Neither Kessler nor Sexton helped Utah win much when it comes down to it, but adding them shows that Utah had the right supporting cast, but no cornerstone.
It will be an intriguing development to see them make the Lakers be the team they want to be, though it's far from a sure thing that they will.
The key difference: No Jazz fan will root for them in LA
Jazz fans will never root for the Lakers because of their history. Duh. However, they had an easy time rooting for the Timberwolves because of how attached they were to Gobert, Conley, and Ingles. It was fun to see the ex-Jazzmen play for something meaningful while Utah continued their rebuild.
Not to mention the Timberwolves' aspirations didn't interfere with the Jazz's. This coming season, the Lakers will very much try to get in the way of what the Jazz want to do. Those are two pretty solid reasons for why Jazz fans definitely won't cheer on the alumni in LA compared to the ones who were in Minnesota.
Lastly, not only are they playing for the enemy, but it's fair to say they won't be remembered in Jazz history like the Jazzmen-turned-Timberwolves are. That's what playoff success does when compared to tanking.
That's nothing against Kessler, Sexton, or Vanderbilt. When they got to Utah, they got to work and did everything the Jazz wanted them to do. They have every right to do everything they can to both help the Lakers and keep their NBA careers for as long as possible.
But until further notice, they will be Jazz enemies for the time being.
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