Georges Niang has yet to make his official return to the Utah Jazz, but everyone is looking forward to it. His current injury has been a little more troublesome than anyone would have preferred, but at least he shouldn't be out for much longer. Utah should be thrilled when he does because history has shown that Niang's teams win more games with him on the team.
David Locke revealed that the teams that have employed Niang have more often than not gotten worse. That includes one of Niang's more recent teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cavaliers were 43-10 and traded Georges Niang. Since then they are 35-19.
— David Locke (@DLocke09) December 7, 2025
Seems crazy, but it has happened everywhere he goes
Jazz were 52-20 with him and then 49-33 and blew it up after letting him go.
Philly was 51-31 and 54-29 and he left and then went 47-35
Is there a causal relationship here in every single case? Probably not. The Jazz were already in a pretty rough place by the time Niang left in 2021, as the tension between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert had reached a boiling point. Whether Niang was on the team or not, that team was on the verge of falling apart.
The Sixers got worse following Niang's departure more because of James Harden's tumultuous fallout with the team and Joel Embiid's injuries mounting up. However, Cleveland's downturn after parting ways with Niang has been rather curious.
They've lost other players like Ty Jerome, but it seems like they have gone through a bit of a tailspin since trading Niang for someone that they thought was an upgrade in De'Andre Hunter. Hunter is a better overall player than Niang, but with their disappointing start to the season, their loss against the Warriors last night with no Steph, Draymond, or Butler despite having Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley is hard not to think something is wrong.
Niang is not and never will be an NBA star, but it really feels like he's one of those guys who improve the locker room. Those players are not easy to replace, which played a part in the Jazz's desire for a reunion.
Niang's return may reveal where the Jazz are going
Currently, the Jazz are right in the same position that they were in from 2022 to 2024: too bad to be good but too bad to be good. Fans know this all too well, which frustrated them. Niang's positive influence both on the floor and in the locker room could very well swing the Jazz to pick a direction.
Niang's one of the NBA's very best floor spacers. His presence alone should open up the floor for Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. That could vault the Jazz from flirting with the play-in to firmly in the play-in at minimum.
Those who root for the tank may not be a fan of that strategy, especially because that could guarantee OKC gets their pick, but Niang's inclusion could be the first real step towards playoff contention.