Well, Utah Jazz fans, it's not looking pretty. You probably already could see that, but it's worth mentioning. A 1-10 start isn't an obstacle too hard to overcome, but it will still be a tough hole to climb out of when they hopefully get healthy. We shouldn't think the worst result is inevitable just yet, but we do have to consider it as a possibility.
As everyone knows, not only would the Jazz continuing to be bad make this maybe the most disappointing Jazz season ever, but if they do, they are in danger of giving a pretty excellent asset to the Memphis Grizzlies thanks to the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade.
However, for anyone who remembers, the NBA just changed its lottery rules. In so doing, they made it so that any team that has had a top-five pick for two consecutive years can't get another one. Even if the Jazz are the NBA's worst team when it's all said and done, the worst that can happen if they give the Grizzlies the No. 6 pick in the draft.
With the spread out odds, it makes it even worse because the worst team in the NBA can finish with the No. 12 pick. In the past, this prospect would have rubbed salt on the wound, but it's not as bad as it used to be.
It's also possible Utah might not give up their pick
Remember that in the JJJ trade, the Jazz didn't give up their pick per se. They gave up the best asset between their own, Cleveland's, and Minnesota's this season. It's very possible Utah will have the worst record of the three, but Cleveland has been "mid" as the kids call it. They have a much better chance of righting the ship than Utah does, but the cracks are showing more than ever.
They don't necessarily have to be worse than the Jazz. The Cavaliers could potentially be bad enough that they could give the Grizzlies their pick. If their pick winds up higher than the Jazz, then this would be a non-issue. Better yet, if the Jazz are still the worst team in the league, and the Grizzlies wind up getting the Cavaliers' pick (note that this is hypothetical is currently possible, but not likely), they could still wind up with a high lottery pick for their troubles.
It's a shame that this season has gone so badly that this is getting brought up, but we have to consider it. Plenty of season left, and no one wanted to discuss this, but it's an elephant we can't ignore.
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