Yes, Utah Jazz fans, we're revisiting this for the billionth time because whenever the Jazz make a smart move that's aged like wine, we have to talk about it. Despite only playing three games for them thus far, the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade has only looked better over time, and the LaMelo Ball trade further proves it.
In case you don't know by now, the Timberwolves acquired LaMelo Ball for Naz Reid and picks. It was already shocking enough that Ball was apparently available, was quickly traded, and to the Timberwolves?! All in like a 12-hour span.
What does all of that have to do with the JJJ trade? Well, the Timberwolves made this deal hoping to get better, and there's a solid chance they did from this. That would have hurt the value of the upcoming Timberwolves pick the Jazz could have gotten from them this season, but it doesn't matter because they potentially gave it up in the JJJ deal.
One of the assets Utah gave up in their trade for Jackson was the most favorable of the picks between them, Cleveland, and Minnesota. If the LaMelo Ball trade works out - there's no guarantee that it will, but he brings something the Timberwolves were lacking as a hybrid scorer/playmaker to put next to Anthony Edwards - then the Jazz can feel better knowing they traded an asset before its value depreciated.
But the Timberwolves just became a bigger threat to the Jazz
That's the one downside to all of this. Utah has every intention of being the best team it can possibly be next season. Oklahoma City and San Antonio will be right there waiting for them. Trades like this could also make it so that Minnesota will be as well.
It could get even harder too. Rumor has it that the Timberwolves are not done yet, and it's pretty easy to see why after trading both Reid and Julius Randle.
The Wolves do still have other moves in the works. They need a power forward and they need more shooting. I am told that they are not trading Donte DiVincenzo. The work continues.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 25, 2026
Props to the Timberwolves for following the same instincts as the Jazz, even if they didn't technically blow it up as the Jazz did four years ago. They recognized that the makeup of their team wasn't working for what they wanted to do, so they made some pretty drastic changes.
But yeah, it means the Jazz have a potentially even stronger competitor in the Western Conference playoff picture. Besides, even with the addition of Darryn Peterson and Walker Kessler likely returning, the Jazz will gladly be in the "happy to be here" phase and more than thrilled just to see where they compare to their competition.
If anything, the Timberwolves serve as a good template for the Jazz if they face a similar crossroads a few years down the line.
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