The NBA released the schedule for the entire league last week, and the Utah Jazz may have gotten the best schedule to earn a top-5 lottery pick next season. It may not be the most difficult schedule, but a deeper dive shows the perfect scenario for the Jazz this season.
A Front Loaded Schedule
The Jazz won't have a winning record in January like last season, or start 10-3 like they did 2 seasons ago. This schedule does not lend itself to that kind of start.
This season, the Jazz will play 11 games before the trade deadline against teams that did not make the play-in tournament last season. This includes two games against the Memphis Grizzlies and two against the San Antonio Spurs, who both should be taking a big leap forward this season.
This means that it is reasonable to expect the Jazz to have less than 10 wins at the trade deadline this season, assuming they are playing seven games against similar competition and 41 games against teams they will likely be expected to lose to.
The Jazz might win a few of those 41 games due to injuries, load management, or a hot shooting night, but there is no guarantee they win all seven of their other games. And, if Danny Ainge truly wants this team to tank, the Jazz will be doing some load management of their own in those games they have a chance to win.
Trade deadline sellers
If the Jazz are sitting around the 10-win mark in early February, they will very clearly be in sell mode. Walker Kessler is already involved in trade rumors, and the Jazz's veterans will likely be offered to contenders, if not offloaded. Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins are all names to watch the trade rumors for.
If their season goes off the rails early, the Jazz may finally have their truly bad season, which could secure them a top-5 pick and a potential generational talent to build around. This may not sound fun for this year, but it could make the Jazz a contender in the years to come.