For everything that has gone wrong for the Utah Jazz, they can take legitimate pride that they didn't do something historically stupid like trade Luka Doncic less than a year after making the finals and about to enter his prime. However, after Dallas justifiably fired Nico Harrison for making such a move, this could make the Mavericks among the Jazz's stiffest tanking competition in 2026.
Even after the Doncic fiasco, the Mavericks did not enter this season anticipating a tankjob. They still had Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis. Sure, Kyrie Irving was out for the season, but Dallas had every intention of competing. However, after Davis *shockingly* got hurt not too long after the season started, and Flagg looking like he'll need some time to adjust, Dallas' best option was to start over.
And that started with firing Harrison. With him gone, the Mavericks have also signaled that the plan is to rebuild a winner around Flagg, which could mean more trades are on the horizon, and if they do, the Mavericks would signal that the plan is to tank.
And why wouldn't they? If there's one year to throw it all away in the hopes of getting a golden lottery pick, its this season. This draft is loaded to the brim with talented prospects, so potentially pairing one with a generational player like Flagg would allow them to move on from the Doncic debacle, no matter how unlikely that sounds.
This is a problem for the Jazz in more ways than one
For obvious reasons, if the Mavericks put their name in the hat for tanking, that could obviously be a problem for the Jazz and their lottery odds. However, another team being in the chase for a prospect like Darryn Peterson can actually be more problematic than fans think.
What fans know, but don't really harp on too much is that the Jazz owe the Thunder a top-8 protected pick this season. If they get the ninth pick or higher, it goes to OKC, who are not only the reigning NBA champions, but have also made it quite clear at 10-1 that they are not going away.
Imagine that team getting a lottery pick - fun fact: the Jazz aren't the only team at risk of giving them a lottery pick - on top of winning yet another title. That could be very much at play if the Mavericks decide that their best option is building a better tomorrow.
There are already enough teams fighting for a good draft position even before Harrison's firing. Another one could be scary for Utah to deal with.