How the Utah Jazz have fared thus far hasn't exactly indicated what their plans are this season. They aren't really in the playoff hunt, but they're not in the tanking race. One reason why they may not be as all-in on the tank is that they could have teams do it for them. One team that fits that description is the Los Angeles Lakers, as they are in danger of losing LeBron James this offseason.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus revealed that many around the NBA believe this could be James's last year in Hollywood, regardless of whether it's his last NBA season.
"While general manager Rob Pelinka said before the season that he'd like James to retire with the Lakers, the buzz around the NBA is that this will be his final season in Los Angeles (whether he decides to continue playing or call it a career)," Pincus wrote.
This is relevant to the Jazz because they own the Lakers' top-4-protected pick next season, thanks to the blockbuster Mike Conley-Russell Westbrook trade almost three years ago. James has declined, and he hasn't exactly started the season well, but he still factors into how the team fares. If he leaves them (or retires).
Utah may get a golden asset out of it, but the Jazz should be thrilled if anything helps that pick get better. The Lakers' potentially losing James helps with that. If only the Luka Doncic trade had never happened (or the Jazz had never gotten involved).
The Lakers managed well without LeBron but...
The Lakers started off fantastically without James, with a lot of it being because of Doncic and Austin Reaves playing as arguably the best backcourt. However, it has also helped that the Lakers have gotten contributions from players they are paying chump change for, including Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, both of whom are playing for their next contract.
It's far from guaranteed that either of those two will be there for the long haul. Whether they are or aren't, the Lakers won't easily be able to replace James if he jumps ship. With Doncic alone, the Lakers wouldn't be the worst team in the league, but in the Western Conference, there's no telling how much he can do by himself.
And if he gets hurt (no one is rooting for that), suddenly that pick becomes golden. The moment the Doncic trade happened, that Lakers pick lost a lot of its value. However, the prospect of James' departure would give it value again. If the Jazz are all-in on being good next season, a potential Lakers' decline could make that choice easier to support.