When the best team in the Western Conference goes up against one of the worst, the final outcome shouldn't be that surprising. That's why the Thunder blowing out the Utah Jazz in the NBA Cup doesn't shock the masses in the slightest.
No one in Utah is complaining about losses like these when A. they expect it and B. it helps their goals. Another one in the loss column further helps the Jazz solidify their tanking chances, and since the Sixers are starting to pick things up a bit around the same time, they're starting to create some distance from them, too, in the tanking race.
However, there's one other favor the Thunder did for the Jazz tonight. Even if it's only a tiny favor, and ultimately wouldn't have changed a lot if things had gone the other way, a favor's a favor.
The Thunder further ensured the Jazz will keep their pick
The Thunder have a lot of influence over the 2025 NBA Draft. Thanks to trades with the Jazz, Sixers, and even the Clippers, the Thunder could see their name show up quite often in the first round of the upcoming draft.
In the Jazz's case, they traded a top-10 protected pick to the Thunder in 2025 to absorb Derrick Favors' albatross contract during the 2020 Offseason. The Thunder were among the worst teams in the NBA for the next two seasons, but since then, they've risen through the ranks to become one of the NBA's best teams period.
The Jazz will lose a lot of games anyway, but it's nice to see that the Thunder aren't even bothering to try to snag that Jazz pick while they can this season and are instead focusing on winning as many games as they can. It could benefit them to let the Jazz win a few games, but why try to secure a better future when that plus your present is already golden?
When you think about it, there's even some incentive for them to make that pick roll over because if the pick is not conveyed, it rolls over to next year, where it will then be top-8 protected. The Jazz likely won't be much better, which might give them more incentive to tank another season.
Even if it's miniscule, it's cool to see the Thunder do the Jazz a small favor four years after they did them a different favor when they acquired Derrick Favors.