How did we get here, Jazz fans? 2 years into a rebuild, and where are we?
It all started on June 5, 2022, when coach Quin Snyder stepped down after 8 seasons in Utah.
There was a trade to move starter Royce O'Neale to Brooklyn for a 2023 1st-round pick (that became Brice Sensabaugh).
6 days later, the first huge trade was consummated - Rudy Gobert was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that brought 4 players (Patrick Beverley, Mikail Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro), incoming rookie Walker Kessler, and four future 1st round picks, plus a 1st round pick swap. (The 2023 pick became Keyonte George).
The rest of July had a few signings and one trade. Walker Kessler signed his rookie deal, and the team signed Johnny Juzang and Simone Fontecchio to contracts. The Jazz also moved Patrick Beverley to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.
By August, fans wondered if Donovan Mitchell would be dealt since the rift on the team was supposedly resolved with the trade of Gobert in July.
Rumors were flying about the Knicks' interest in Mitchell, but he remained on the team the entire month.
The Knicks weren't willing to part with certain players for Mitchell, which caused the Jazz to turn to Cleveland. The Knicks extended RJ Barrett on August 30th, 2022, which signified the end of their pursuit for Mitchell.
On September 3, Ainge pulled the biggest trigger of all - Donovan Mitchell was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a massive trade that brought Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji to Utah along with 3 first-round picks and 2 FRP swaps. The rebuild was truly on.
A few weeks later, on September 22nd, Bojan Bogdanovic was the 4th Jazz starter to be moved, netting Kelly Olynyk, Saben Lee, and cash considerations, but no draft picks.
When the dust settled at the start of the 2022-23 season, 5 Jazz players remained from the previous season - Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Rudy Gay, and Udoka Azubuike.
Predictions had the Jazz missing the playoffs, with 4 new starters and a lot of uncertainty heading into the 2022-23 season.
The Jazz exceeded expectations early, as the young team meshed around Markkanen, Clarkson, Conley, and Olynyk. Walker Kessler emerged as the starting center early in January 2023 and showed enough promise to keep the role the rest of the way. Kris Dunn was a reclamation project that came in over the final 22 games and was a defensive boost for the backcourt.
The team finished 37-45 and just outside the play-in tournament, and people wondered if this Jazz team might need a few tweaks to be back in the playoff hunt. Perhaps the full teardown didn't mean they had to lose for years before getting better.
That offseason, they traded for Atlanta forward John Collins, moving veteran Rudy Gay in the process in a move that appeared to indicate they were trying to 'win now', and not continue to rebuild. They picked up 3 rookies - Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh in the 2023 NBA Draft.
However, the 2023-24 season ended up being an exercise in futility, as Collins and Kessler were not playable together, and veteran Jordan Clarkson reverted to his inefficient form on most nights, getting more minutes than some fans thought was warranted in a losing season.
Trades were made at the deadline, moving 2 of the most efficient veterans (Olynyk, Fontecchio) for little in return, and a horrible 5-25 finish followed, in a not-so-veiled effort for the team to keep their 2024 1st round pick from conveying to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The bright spots were the emergence of Collin Sexton, fully healthy after an injury-plagued 2022-23 year, and of rookie guard Keyonte George, who appears to be one of the cornerstones of the rebuild.
The Jazz got 3 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft - and despite rumors of trades for a big name like Mikal Bridges or Dejounte Murray - they ultimately kept all 3 picks, drafting Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski.
Rumors around Jazz star Lauri Markkanen being traded were prevalent in 2024, with possible trades to Golden State, San Antonio, or Oklahoma City being mentioned most often.
Now, 2 years into the rebuild, the Jazz stand in a strange place - as long as they have Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson, they are too good to tank, and not good enough to contend. They haven't made roster moves that indicate they're trying to win for 2024-25, but they also haven't dealt away enough veterans to give the youngsters the minutes and green light to grow.
They are in that middle ground everyone tries to avoid in the NBA. Let's hope they figure a way out of it soon, or the rebuild could go on for a lot longer than anyone expected.